Integrating a 'new' bird; need advise.

Chick_In_The_Burbs

Songster
9 Years
Jun 26, 2010
3,015
74
246
Western Washington
Hello all. Well, we bought three new ladies back in October and set them up in our eglu cube. I have gotten tired of maintaining two coops so we are selling the two brahmas and are trying to integrate our polish, Cher, in with our 'big girl' flock of five. Two EEs, a sussex, Australorp, and Hamburg. Cher has been in a run parallel to theirs since they arrived. When we started integrating her she spent a week in a dog crate in the Big girl run before we let her mingle. Only she isn't mingling. She spends all her time in the corners of the run trying to get back to her original flock mates. The others aren't being mean to her beyond a little pecking from the Sussex. They aren't being welcoming either, but I expected that to a point. But Cher is sooo stressed and scared I'm not sure if she will be able to actually join. I'm also worried that she isn't eating as much as she should.

Any advise? I just want her to be happy and - preferably- stay with the big girls.

I should add that she has been with the big girls for three days.
 
Well, Cher is back with her pals. She was so terrified that I don't think she ate for three days.
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Sorry to hear it did not go well for Cher.
I had a small group of four that I put in with my six in the larger coop. Not good either.
I put them in for the winter and have since moved them back to the small coop. My poor Hamburg has been so stressed that she had not been laying at all, and my EE was beginning to be picked on.
Since I moved them harmony is restored and I will just keep 2 coops going.

Sometimes we have to do what they want whether we want to or not.
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I hope Cher is calmer and things work out.

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