The Middle Tennessee Thread

[DMRippy]

Tell us how old all the birds in question are. That will help us talk you through this integration.

 

[TNchickmom]

I know what you mean! I have some 11 month old girls and when I introduced 3 new 2 month olds I hated to watch all the pecking but it's how they do things.

 

[DaddyBird]

I'm so nervous. I hate this part. I know the flock has a pecking order but I hate seeing the new littles being put in their place. I've got 2 standard orpington cockerels and one standard pullet finally ready, I think, to be in with the older juveniles. There are 2 older juvenile cockerels, 2 older standard pullets, and 2 older bantam pullets. The younger ones have been in the same coop in a dog crate for almost 3 weeks and are about the same size as the older bantams. They should be ready, right?

So we have had to integrate new birds several times over the past two years. If you can achieve as many of the following as possible, it will ease it a bit:
>Make sure they are as close to the same size as you can. With older birds, we have found this to be as important or even more so than age.
>Introduce them with at least one buddy. That way they share any bullying. A single bird will provide a focus.
>Slip them onto the roost at night. We had some seamless integrations with younger birds doing this.
>Make sure they have plenty of room to get away or even hide (bushes, structure, elevations, etc.)


Good Luck!

 

[tnmommy]

I supervised a little outing today and they were okay until my smallest pullet got spooked. She was spooked by one of the bigger ones who was just scratching for goodies, but it triggered a domino effect and everybody freaked out. No one got hurt and the littles are back in the crate. I rehomed my oldest rooster today so that will free up a bigger grow out pen until they are a similar size. That's how we did the last introduction of new juveniles and it went fine.

 

[n3kms]

Okay...my younger chicks have started to roost at night. By the time it gets too dark to take a pic the 13 week olds are lined up on one side an the 8-9 week olds are on the other. Don't know who will be on top when they get too big to all be on one row. But for now the older ones get a window seat.

 

[Lots A Cluckin]

Thoughts on this Blue Orpington pullet? I hatched her from my parent stock. She is 22 weeks old. I feel she will be an excellent breeder for next spring!

But I would love to hear what you all think of her!

 

[BrandyJK]

I just don't know what to think. Just found my 5 month old bantam BLRW cockerel dead in the floor of the run. I want to know what happened to him and to be honest I don't trust my neighbor. I have three separate coops with 7 or less chickens in each one. I hatched them all myself from shipped NPIP hatching eggs, they were all vaccinated for Marek's, fed medicated feed for the first 3 months, and did not free range. He seemed ok today, but I thought he was a little less active, maybe a bit sleepy acting. The pullets were following him around and napping when he did. The other three girls were in the roost and he was just there...dead...no color left in his pretty red comb.

Is there somewhere in Nashville that I can just take him tomorrow for a necropsy? How should I handle the body until I can get it there?

 

[auntphibian]

Is there somewhere in Nashville that I can just take him tomorrow for a necropsy? How should I handle the body until I can get it there?

You can call Ellington Agency Ctr, Korda Animal Diagnostics Lab. 615-837-5125 for a necropsy. You can also look up Un of TN, they have an office here in Nash for necropsies.

Thing about birds, once you notice symptoms, it's too late, usually. He was sleepy and napped a lot, that is a big warning sign of illness. Probably has nothing to do with your neighbor, but for the sake of your other birds, a necropsy may save others.
With chickens being outside where wild birds are, they are high risk for catching something out there.
Keep him refrigerated until you can take him in. Let us know what you find out.
If your other chickens show similar symptoms, take them in. I like Dr Dixon at Volunteer Vet.

 

[auntphibian]

New to chickens in Ashland City, but been a bird girl for a long time. I call my place "Preen Acres".

Looking for other chicken folk around here.

 

[cacooley]

I am building my first coop her in Memphis! Here's progress so far!