New hens

[CAF]

Hi I originally had 6 quail, 5 hens and 1 male, I have just added 4 new hens I kept them in a wire box for a few days in the main coop and then let them out last night and all hell broke lose with the male bird attacking them. My question is will this normally calm down after a few days. Please help

 

[le_bwah]

If I were you, I'd put the new hens back in their box and leave them in the coop for at least a week or two (assuming it's big enough for so long a stay).

Then note their behavior. Are any birds pacing, looking disheveled, beating their beaks against the wire? If they are (acting stressed), they probably need longer to acclimate.

Can you post pics of your setup?

 

[JaeG]

Are the new hens the same colour as your older ones? If not then they may never accept them (they can be racist little things). Quail can be very difficult to integrate and sometimes they just refuse to accept new members. But try keeping them with a divider between the two groups and fingers crossed things will settle down. Completely rearranging the cage can help as well, or moving it to a new location if that's possible so that your older ones aren't defending their familiar territory.