A few weeks back we got 3 new Australorp hens. After the appropriate quarantine period I prepared to introduce them to my mixed flock. I was planning to bring them in slowly in a separate run/ same area etc, etc.
Day before yesterday, in a fit of post flu dementia I decided to just let them all out to free range together and see what happened. There was 1 small scuffle, our wonderful roo broke it up immediately and that was it. They free ranged together all afternoon, eventually bedding back in their respective coops.
Next day, I put the new girls in the run area with the flock and there was no drama whatsoever. They all acted like they had been there all along. Come night fall I let them bed in each their respective coops again.
Today, same thing. They go into to run with the flock, no drama. So I locked them all in the main coop at dusk and let it play out at roosting time. One new hen roosted just fine between her new buddies and the other 2 were confused, so I put them on the roost. Now they are all just fine.
My question is...can it really be this easy? Will I wake up to carnage? Did we just get lucky? Is it because of our excellent roo and his supervisory skills? I expected a lot more stress and kerfuffles.
Day before yesterday, in a fit of post flu dementia I decided to just let them all out to free range together and see what happened. There was 1 small scuffle, our wonderful roo broke it up immediately and that was it. They free ranged together all afternoon, eventually bedding back in their respective coops.
Next day, I put the new girls in the run area with the flock and there was no drama whatsoever. They all acted like they had been there all along. Come night fall I let them bed in each their respective coops again.
Today, same thing. They go into to run with the flock, no drama. So I locked them all in the main coop at dusk and let it play out at roosting time. One new hen roosted just fine between her new buddies and the other 2 were confused, so I put them on the roost. Now they are all just fine.
My question is...can it really be this easy? Will I wake up to carnage? Did we just get lucky? Is it because of our excellent roo and his supervisory skills? I expected a lot more stress and kerfuffles.