Blue Andalusian thread!

[Lacy Blues]

Thanks, Lacy. I don't really want lap chickens, so sounds like we'll be fine. I just want to be able to enter the coop without panic and feathers flying. These birds are a pleasure to watch, clearly smart, and are the first to grab a treat. I'm happy to have them but not looking forward to introducing the BA male to my big BR roo, but that's another topic.

I would introduce the two males as soon as possible. If the BR is an adult, he may recognize the other as a baby still and leave him alone. When the Andalusian grows up though, you'll have to watch him with the BR so that he doesn't hurt him. They may have a scuffle or two but I would count on the Andalusian coming out on top... much faster and more agile and from what I've seen, more aggressive than a rock.

 

[allpeepedout]

I would introduce the two males as soon as possible. If the BR is an adult, he may recognize the other as a baby still and leave him alone. When the Andalusian grows up though, you'll have to watch him with the BR so that he doesn't hurt him. They may have a scuffle or two but I would count on the Andalusian coming out on top... much faster and more agile and from what I've seen, more aggressive than a rock.

Very interesting! Thanks so much for your insight, and a further question or two if you have time . . . My BR is going on 5 years old and very large. Not fast. From reading, I had thought that it would be best to let the little BA grow up so he had a fighting chance, and that the adults would have to duke it out, brutal as that sounds.

They will have plenty of hens between them, with 6 senior gals and 9 younger.

The new flock has been kept separately and has just started spending the night in cages in my main coop. I'm building a divider now for my attached covered run so the flocks can see and interact across a wire wall. So after a few days of that, assuming they seem to interact okay, should I turn just the little BA roo in with the big flock? Should I try to integrate all the others this early?

My original plan was based on reading on this site: to let the new flock come up to 3/4 size before integration. They are June babies, so I hoped to combine late Sept. or Oct. I have built a large new pen, about 35x35', but have more work to do to get it covered with netting. Or else I need to clip wings.

Thanks again.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Keep him with his pen mates. If you can pen the young ones where the older ones can see them and get used to them being around, and they seem to accept them, introduce them all without a fence all at the same time but make it so the young ones can get away from the older ones.

I wouldn't turn the BA cockerel in with the older ones by himself. This will make him a target. The sooner you can blend the flock, the better.

 

[allpeepedout]

Keep him with his pen mates. If you can pen the young ones where the older ones can see them and get used to them being around, and they seem to accept them, introduce them all without a fence all at the same time but make it so the young ones can get away from the older ones.

I wouldn't turn the BA cockerel in with the older ones by himself. This will make him a target. The sooner you can blend the flock, the better.

Okay. I have screened off part of my covered run so the flocks can meet across a barrier for a few days. I'll get the big pen ready and set up escape places for the newbies.Thank you so much for the tips.

BTW, my teenage BAs have made liars out of me by behaving sensibly the last couple of evenings. I am hand-carrying my new flock one at a time from a tractor in my yard to the main coop at dusk. So I am "asking" the new flock to present themselves calmly at the tractor door, where I kneel and pick them up. The cockerel is nervous but smart enough to be getting the idea. When I hold him he is calm, no struggles. Two of my more difficult holdouts are now the Wyandotte and a Legbar.

I guess I am less scary than the prospect of spending the night outside in the yard with the raccoons! The BAs are smart, no doubt.

 

[Lacy Blues]

If you feed inside the coop, put their feeding dishes close to the other on their respective sides of the fence. Same thing if you feed outside. Feeding time and bedtime are the most strenuous parts of a chicken's day from what I have observed. Feed them close together and when fully blending, provide lower perches with plenty of space between them (so the elders cannot pick on the younger) for the newbies. They will probably all try to sleep on the top perch but the younger ones need to learn their place in the flock or risk getting their feet bitten by the older ones.

 

[allpeepedout]

Lacy, these are great tips. BYC needs an integration article from you (or did I miss it?). I did feed them right across the screen from each other this morning.

I have yet to build permanent roosts / poop boards in my main coop -- just using stacked concrete blocks and a 2x4 for a roost for now. I had read all roosts should all be at the same level to prevent fighting for higher positions. But setting up additional temporary ones at a lower level, for the clearly subordinate newbies, sounds like a better strategy. I have two opposite walls for the roosts and I had hoped for each flock to take a different wall. I don't have enough width for high / low on each wall..

My BA cockerel is now trying to crow. Here is the little man, Legolas:

 

[Lacy Blues]

I have tried the all one level perch approach and I don't think it saves any headaches. Some birds are just bullies on the perch and will only allow a certain bird next to them. Andalusians are terrible about this and mine drive me crazy. I have to just walk away. I don't like bullies in any species but in the chicken yard, no one gets seriously hurt at these times.

No, no articles posted by me. I can't gather my thoughts well enough to do something like that. I can address questions and statements and that is about it.

I'm glad to be able to help out and hope that these approaches work well for you.

 

[azotter]

Beautiful

 

[allpeepedout]

Lacy, so far so good on integrating my 11-week old Blue Andalusian cockerel with the old BR roo / old flock, thanks to your tips. I put both flocks in parallel runs for the last 2-3 weeks, feeding up against the wire. A few nights ago, I started letting them in together right before bedtime, with supervision. The old flock allowed some pullets up on the roost with them, and a couple even tucked under the old hens like chicks. My young cockerel put himself in his cage last night, and I am moving all the youngsters into cages for the night for the time being. I haven't quite got all my roosts installed yet, but have some temporary subordinate ones that the youngsters are using.

My old roo seems to ignore or think the BA cockerel is a pullet, even though the cockerel is now crowing. The cockerel is very defensive of his flock and will attack the old hens who wander too close. I'm hoping this will reduce over time. He did challenge the big ol' roo with a puffed up approach, and my old roo just looked at him like, "You've got to be kidding." My old roo did break up a fight between an old hen and a new pullet -- cool to see!

So when the BA cockerel matures, will he challenge the old roo to a fight for dominance? Will the old roo try to put him in his place if he tries to mate? Any benefit to separating the BA roo until he gets through randy adolescence? Any chance each will just co-exist with their own flock of hens? Old roo has 6 hens, BA cock would have 9.

Sorry for the barrage of questions but I'm short of experience here. Thanks again for the help.

 

[Saris]

My Blue Andy Hen? 21weeks old and hasn't laid yet. When should she start laying?