So, I integrated Splash tonight - I picked him up out of the garage and put him in the driveway. He walked over to the woodpile nearby and Sicily came to check him out. The two roos jumped under the bushes behind the woodpile and exchanged chicken noises, but nothing physical. This went on for two or three minutes, then both hopped out of the bushes and joined the girls for treats. Splash was checking out the girls, but Sicily told him they were his (that's okay, I have seven new girls I'm raising for Splash). SouthernChick was saying in her post about Col. Bok Bok that if they have 12, these boys want 13. Sicily was even protective of his exotic looking gals (guineas). All seems to be going well, so I go in to put my human children to bed. After everyone is asleep, I go outside to see about rounding up the rouge leghorns, the lone guinea and perhaps Splash. I go to the coop and count. 13? I count again. 13. Hmmm...everyone is in the coop? I then group by breed...everyone is in including Splash! Holy Cow! I must write everything down that I did in the last 24 hours. I must have communicated something telling them to be good, love everyone and go to bed when and where you should. Has anyone experienced an integration this smooth? I have 9 hens, 2 guineas and 2 roosters.
From your comment about having kids just remember All good things will come to an end, so enjoy it while it lasts!!!
Yep. Too good to be true. This morning Splash couldn't walk. He was in with the 'heat stroke' hen that is probably a case of Marek's. I reintroduced him one day too early...UGH! I had to clean and disinfect the coop and containers this morning. I just filled the feeders with food, too. I'm going to see if I can get him in with a vet this morning that can tell me what is wrong. Figures.
So sorry to hear that Splash couldn't walk this morning. Please keep us updated as to what the vet says. I hope your flock fares well and I'm envious of how well your transition went in the first place.
Yes I am so sorry that he can't walk. I hope that he gets better On the whole introduction thing...I have three banty roos on top of the 14 sex link hens and 1 roo. I had one of my banties attacked by a dog and he had a bloody rump. I moved him indoors until he was all healed up. NONE of the chickens would take him back, not even his buddies!!!! I tried putting him back in with my silkies and Millies but he tried to hurt them all of the time so I had to put him back in with the big guys. WEll, he flies the coop every morning and lives in my vegetable garden all day long. Every night he flies in to sleep on his special roost, right under the eave of the roof. He is my favorite banty and I love watching him chase away all of the birds that dare to land in my yard. I am just worried because I have no fence. He has done well all summer, I just worry about when the garden dies down and he has nowhere to hide. I do love my one free ranging chicken though Good luck with your roo, I pray he recovers!