- Jul 28, 2008
- 414
- 2
- 129
Was the age of the Sebrights mentioned? For me, I wait until any chicken is at least 5 months old before integrating.
Um. If I think there may be problems, I will put up some hiding places for the new chickens because they will get pecked on at least a little bit. Sometimes if they can get out of sight, they can get a break for a while. Also an extra feeder and an extra waterer until they're accepted. At least with two feeders and waterers they can get some feed and water those first few days when no one is watching. Of course, placed lower for the bantams (sometimes I forget).
If possible, I try to give the weakest group of birds that I plan to integrate a couple of days in the new house so that they know it before they have to deal with older birds.
I also try to integrate more than just two at a time so that the integration pressure isn't focused on just two chickens.
I have an extra small pen where I could put the two Sebrights for a couple of days. Then add one hen from the main flock. Then another new older hen from the main flock every two days until there are 6 in there. Then after a week together, the whole group can be added back to the main flock. That would take a little bit of attention off of the two Sebrights.
As someone mentioned, keeping the Sebrights in the coop inside their little cage for a week before releasing them would be smart. Or even sectioning off a 1/3 of the coop with chicken wire temporarily. You can feed treats along the bottom of the chicken wire and they will get used to eating together.
Right now, my Sebright rooster is in a coop with two other standard roosters and 15+ hens. I've got three bantam hens in there also. Two of the bantams were integrated along with 5? other standard pullets that I got this spring once they were about 6 months old. No problems that I noticed, but then I didn't watch too closely because I didn't expect any trouble based on past experiences.
It's probably worth the effort to integrate, if possible, now over the next few weeks rather than spend the whole long Canadian winter dealing with the waterer and feeder in that little cage. That's a lot of work. Of course, it's up to you, but chickens in winter with freezing waterers, etc., etc., can be easier if you only have one group to deal with.
Sorry if you already know most of this. I'm just tossing out a few things that came to mind. I know I was scared that first time with my bantams, but everybody says that bantams do fine with the big guys and it seems to be true. Even in the cold, my bantam hens just snuggle up between a couple of big hens and they're almost invisible.
Um. If I think there may be problems, I will put up some hiding places for the new chickens because they will get pecked on at least a little bit. Sometimes if they can get out of sight, they can get a break for a while. Also an extra feeder and an extra waterer until they're accepted. At least with two feeders and waterers they can get some feed and water those first few days when no one is watching. Of course, placed lower for the bantams (sometimes I forget).
If possible, I try to give the weakest group of birds that I plan to integrate a couple of days in the new house so that they know it before they have to deal with older birds.
I also try to integrate more than just two at a time so that the integration pressure isn't focused on just two chickens.
I have an extra small pen where I could put the two Sebrights for a couple of days. Then add one hen from the main flock. Then another new older hen from the main flock every two days until there are 6 in there. Then after a week together, the whole group can be added back to the main flock. That would take a little bit of attention off of the two Sebrights.
As someone mentioned, keeping the Sebrights in the coop inside their little cage for a week before releasing them would be smart. Or even sectioning off a 1/3 of the coop with chicken wire temporarily. You can feed treats along the bottom of the chicken wire and they will get used to eating together.
Right now, my Sebright rooster is in a coop with two other standard roosters and 15+ hens. I've got three bantam hens in there also. Two of the bantams were integrated along with 5? other standard pullets that I got this spring once they were about 6 months old. No problems that I noticed, but then I didn't watch too closely because I didn't expect any trouble based on past experiences.
It's probably worth the effort to integrate, if possible, now over the next few weeks rather than spend the whole long Canadian winter dealing with the waterer and feeder in that little cage. That's a lot of work. Of course, it's up to you, but chickens in winter with freezing waterers, etc., etc., can be easier if you only have one group to deal with.
Sorry if you already know most of this. I'm just tossing out a few things that came to mind. I know I was scared that first time with my bantams, but everybody says that bantams do fine with the big guys and it seems to be true. Even in the cold, my bantam hens just snuggle up between a couple of big hens and they're almost invisible.
