Ribh's D'Coopage

[micstrachan]

I have a few things in my favour:

• The roosts are long & go up like a ladder. It is impossible for any one hen to patrol the whole length & repel all boarders. Even 2 can't do it. My BRs have tried.
• Most of my hens would fall into the more timid/less assertive category
• My lead hens are pretty laissez faire
• I generally try to add new hens in the cooler months when snuggling together for warmth overcomes any natural reluctance to share
• I don't have a lot of really big hens

Good points! At what age have you integrated? This will be my third integration. The first time, I integrated six pullets into an existing flock of four. The next time, Cashew (mama hen) took care of everything. This time, I’m integrating three pullets into an existing flock of ten at 3 different ages, so I’m taking a slow, gradual approach. Hoping to have everyone fully integrated before real cold hits, though we’ve been down into the 30’s (F) a few times already.

 

[WhoDatChick]

These are absolutely precious! I wish my flock would cuddle up like that. I have about 20 feet of roosting space and ten birds in the main coop. Only a few pair up to cuddle. I’m hoping to get the little girls (14 weeks) in the big coop soon, so there will be 13 total. It will be interesting to see what happens there.

My young girls have been with the flock for quite a few weeks now.. I have separate but connected roosts and all the newbies use the small one until they are brave enough to move with the rest... the small house on the right is the one all my new babies use at first... of course have have to put them in there the first few nights so they know not to go in with the olders... but the olders usually let them know they are not welcome in the main roost area yet

 

[Ribh]

Good points! At what age have you integrated? This will be my third integration. The first time, I integrated six pullets into an existing flock of four. The next time, Cashew (mama hen) took care of everything. This time, I’m integrating three pullets into an existing flock of ten at 3 different ages, so I’m taking a slow, gradual approach. Hoping to have everyone fully integrated before real cold hits, though we’ve been down into the 30’s (F) a few times already.

I buy pullets @ point of lay. My 1st integration was 6 new hens to 4 old ones. I had some Australorps as well as the BRs still & they did not take kindly to the interlopers but a couple of weeks & we had the new pecking order well established. I can separate the run & the coop run so the old girls were let loose for part of the day while the newbies got some peace & space from the harassment. The next time it was 5 into 7. I'd lost the Australorps so had a more mellow flock & fewer integration issues. Last time it was 5 into 10. All the new girls were fairly docile breeds & I had no integration issues.

 

[WhoDatChick]

Good points! At what age have you integrated? This will be my third integration. The first time, I integrated six pullets into an existing flock of four. The next time, Cashew (mama hen) took care of everything. This time, I’m integrating three pullets into an existing flock of ten at 3 different ages, so I’m taking a slow, gradual approach. Hoping to have everyone fully integrated before real cold hits, though we’ve been down into the 30’s (F) a few times already.

It seems to me that the more hens I have and the more times I integrate it gets easier each time... also, I think most of mine were distracted by TRUMP as he was integrated just a few months before this last batch.. I also think he was a help.. he was very kind to the babies!
It also seems to be that the older gals don’t mind them as much and let the newer gals take care of the chasing and pecking! And they are happy to do it as they have been the targets and now they can finally peck someone! I have five different age groups! I would have six if I still had my bantams... I have 18 chickens now...

 

[WhoDatChick]

Ribh, how are you doing? ❤

 

[Ribh]

Ribh, how are you doing? ❤

I am OK, thanks, WhoDat. Grieve & move on. I still have a lot of girls who need me & broodies to deal with. Plus my man hasn't been real well & I am babysitting this weekend so life plunges on.

 

[BY Bob]

However silly it might be I do not like any of my girls being on their own when storms come through so Lavender went back in the big coop & promptly took up residence in her favourite nesting box ~ minus any eggs. This morning I went to hoy her out into the run for a constitutional because I am away tonight so everybody will have to be in the big coop so the man only has one lot of problems to keep an eye on. Lo & behold, Wrold was in the next box keeping Beatha's egg nice & warm & all fluffed up like an angry pine cone shrieking @ me. So I transported her to the run where she sat & sulked for 5 minutes before deciding she really was hungry after all. Back I went to collect Beatha's egg & there was Alpia cuddling it!!!! They are mad, I tell you. Mad!

All I can do is keep laughing at your struggles and I feel bad, but I can't stop. It truly is comical how quickly they go broody on you. I guess their instincts are all in synch.

 

[Ribh]

All I can do is keep laughing at your struggles and I feel bad, but I can't stop. It truly is comical how quickly they go broody on you. I guess their instincts are all in synch.

I know it's funny ~ a right old circus! It's still a PITA.

 

[LaFemmeKatia]

I have a few things in my favour:

• The roosts are long & go up like a ladder. It is impossible for any one hen to patrol the whole length & repel all boarders. Even 2 can't do it. My BRs have tried.
• Most of my hens would fall into the more timid/less assertive category
• My lead hens are pretty laissez faire
• I generally try to add new hens in the cooler months when snuggling together for warmth overcomes any natural reluctance to share
• I don't have a lot of really big hens

Sounds like you’ve covered all the bases!

 

[Ribh]

Sounds like you’ve covered all the bases!

I very deliberately avoided breeds considered overly assertive, not because I don't like them, but because I wanted a pretty mellow flock & that meant I had to choose between breeds. Squabbling really upsets me so the less of it the flock does the happier I am. This present flock is excellent that way. I almost never get a full blown blue happening. Even pecking isn't very serious. On the other hand they are flighty & broody ~ but I cope with that better.