merging two existing groups

[cat7973]

I have 4 warrens, rescued girls that ive had for about 6 months now. Yesterday I got 5 more girls (white ones, not sure what breed or age) from a friend who was moving house and couldnt take them with him. He told me to put the 5 straight into thr coop last night when it was dark. No problems in the night (that I know if!), but when I let yhem out this morning, had a bit of squabbling with one of the newbies in particular, which I expected, but my girls are really not happy, making very loud noises when they were usually realky quiet unless there was a cat in the garden. The white ones have now ventured out from the run, but my old girls are staying well away, still bring noisy! How long should I expect this behaviour to go on for, or does it vary with all birds?

 

[Ridgerunner]

It varies with all birds. Sometimes it goes so smoothly we hardly notice but sometimes it can go on a while. It sounds like yours is actually going pretty smoothly and that the new ones are also fully mature. That helps.

Don’t be surprised if they keep themselves in two different flocks for quite a while. They tend to do that even after they have gotten used to each other and sorted the pecking order. That behavior with the noise could be over when you wake up tomorrow or it could go on a week or two. I’d expect the worse of it to be over in two or three days but it depends on their personalities.

 

[centrarchid]

Depending on you location with respect to equator, this can be short as in just a few days. North this time of year is the time my flocks start swapping members. What can be done to speed merger is confine them to coop for a few days and move things in coop around so they think they are in a new location. Things to be moved include feeders, waterers, roost and even egg laying sites. Also moving light sources can help. If it proves difficult to move enough items around then bring in something like a bicycle or even the larger child's toy I keep tripping over. You may briefly observe old birds fighting among themselves which is good. What prolongs problems is where birds retain the us versus them concept which is easily maintained on familiar turf.