Silver Spangled Hamburg and 3 others introducing into flock

gerrbearCB

In the Brooder
May 23, 2016
12
0
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I have 7 20 week old girls, 4 RIR, 2PBR and 1 GLWyandotte. I also have 2 13 week Giant Blue Cochins, a 10 wk. Hamburg and a 9 week Cuckoo Maran. All are in same run area, 4 youngest separated, but can see. I will need to introduce them all together soon to insure cochins lay in nesting boxes and eat layer feed. I got the 4 littles comfy together so they could go into the 7 with more numbers, but the Hamburg is still so small.
Hamburg (Gladys) flies like the wind and there are various places for her to flee, but I am worried about my bossy PBR initiating probs. She was confined for 3 days when I added the Wyandotte and she came out with a better attitude, but now she is laying. Have had eggs 3 weeks now, 5/6 of 7 are laying I believe.
Suggestions or will I just have to wait and see. The Maran is much larger than the Hamburg, too. She is equal or nearly taken over the cochins and they are docile. When I leave them together for short times, the PBR (Maxine) incites alot of havoc. Hamburg owners have thoughts/ideas? She is a flighty little girl!
 
Greetings from Kansas and :welcome. Happy you joined us! I think you are doing it right by having the birds together but separated so the 4 don't get picked on. When you do integrate, which I would do after a week, I'm sure the older girls will have to show their dominance - to be expected. I had the same thing this year with established larger breed hens into which I introduced young small breed pullets. No injuries - just the older ladies being bossy for a day or two. The youngers were nimble enough to evade the oldsters. In terms of your flighty Hamburgs...I have nothing for you as I am dealing with with that myself...2 SS Hamburgs and a Lakenvelder in the trees above the coop every night. To get them out of the trees seems to make them skittish around me for a week afterward. Time to trim wings I guess. Best of luck to you. :)
 
Welcome
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and enjoy the great community!
 
Everyone is getting along with definite little "clucks". The LF Cochins hang together, but do meander through the run and the Maran & Hamburg originally in brooder together are their own little gang. The Hamburg is staying small, just having trouble getting them all to roost in coop together, since their look-no-see area was not included in the coop. I am just stuffing them in at night and hoping they will go in when the weather is cold. I am in town, very secure run, so often I don't shut the coop door to keep extra ventilation for the summer nights. Will close up in winter to conserve heat.
THANKS for all the advice! Glady (kravitz), our hamburg, loves to perch on our arms, now. Not a cuddler, but making progress!
 

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