Integration Day

[sean320]

Today is my initial attemp. Five 8 month layers and fifteen 8 week pullets. An hour and a half into it. Some chasing by the lowest in the order but most seem uninterested. So far so good. Lots of room to run is a help. I suspect low egg production for the next week. I have had the youngsters in view of the layers for the last 2 weeks.

 

[Hholly]

Good luck!

 

[sean320]

Layers are nesting in the sand and falling asleep. I'll take that!

 

[sean320]

Youngsters followed the ladies into the coop at dusk. The layers went right up to roost and the youngsters cried like never before as I closed up shop. Lol! I hope the night goes peaceful. I'll be up bright and early to get that run door open. Should be interesting.

Its amazing how fast these birds learn from watching the others.

 

[Hholly]

Hope all is well this morning.

 

[sean320]

Everything is good. Elders are a bit grumpy and eggs were a bit short but that should blow over. Txs!

 

[bcollier9253]

Good luck with it. I am doing the same thing tonight. Put in 3 BA's and 3 Amaracuna's all 8 weeks old with my 3 RIR's and 3 ISA's there're 27 week old. They have been seeing each other for about a month and been out in the run together for about the last two weeks off and on.
Funny about the slow down in eggs. One of my older girls dropped an egg from the roost, no shell, just yolk and white. Do you reckon the stress was to much on her?

 

[chickmomma03]

I was having a rough time integrating my younger in as well. The first night was rough, the littles cried hard, they're on day 3 and slowly coming around. I did a look but don't touch approach for a few weeks before integration because when I attempted to integrate the other way they were just going after the littles way too much. Because my littles were a lot smaller I was worried about injuries (they pecked the crap out of the littles, drew some blood). After building the mini coop and doing the look but don't touch it's gone a lot smoother. I hated hearing the littles cry so much, but I did NOT want to back off, I needed to just make that leap (they're big enough now that I'm not as worried about them getting hurt, and they have ZERO desire to fight back, they just want to be left alone). Today they were ALMOST brave enough to come all the way out of the coop into the exercise pen, not quite, but it's progress.

 

[sean320]

Good luck with it. I am doing the same thing tonight. Put in 3 BA's and 3 Amaracuna's all 8 weeks old with my 3 RIR's and 3 ISA's there're 27 week old. They have been seeing each other for about a month and been out in the run together for about the last two weeks off and on.
Funny about the slow down in eggs. One of my older girls dropped an egg from the roost, no shell, just yolk and white. Do you reckon the stress was to much on her?

Hows it going? I got 2 softshells as well. Definitely stress. I have one girl who hates laying while anyone is around let alone a closed coop of 15 new youngsters.

 

[sean320]

I was having a rough time integrating my younger in as well. The first night was rough, the littles cried hard, they're on day 3 and slowly coming around. I did a look but don't touch approach for a few weeks before integration because when I attempted to integrate the other way they were just going after the littles way too much. Because my littles were a lot smaller I was worried about injuries (they pecked the crap out of the littles, drew some blood). After building the mini coop and doing the look but don't touch it's gone a lot smoother. I hated hearing the littles cry so much, but I did NOT want to back off, I needed to just make that leap (they're big enough now that I'm not as worried about them getting hurt, and they have ZERO desire to fight back, they just want to be left alone). Today they were ALMOST brave enough to come all the way out of the coop into the exercise pen, not quite, but it's progress.

Keep up the good work. Got my 8 weekers drinking from the nipples. Yeh!!!