Wish me luck

[ScottM]

I know it's best to quarantine & segregate before combining flocks, but I'm just going to throw them in and hope for the best. Wish me luck.

I have 6 existing 1yo hens (rir and ameraucana) in 45sqft coop, 100sqft run. Plenty of roosting space, 3 nest boxes. The 2 new birds are buff orpingtons, have been free ranging, and are super hardy/healthy 10mo olds.

I just now put them on the roost with the others and not a peep from anybody. So far, so good. Its quite dark already here in northern British Columbia, they should be sleeping soon.

Tomorrow ill provide extra treats(scratch, extra fodder, lettuce, & mealworms, gawd my girls are spoiled) and will segregate if blood is spilled, cause that can only get worse.

So . . . Wish me luck ( feel free to call me reckless)

 

[fried green eggs]

Good Luck. Hope all goes well!

 

[ScottM]

Just checked on them early this am, tossed in some kitchen scraps, maybe more chatter than usual, but no probs so far.

 

[Mrs. K]

they should be good if they are the same size, and wake up together. The new girls may hang apart for a while.

 

[silvercat76]

I took in four chickens last week and waited til night to add the new girls. I also left the heat lamp off that night as well and everyone seems to be doing just fine almost a week. I am also awaiting those four to lay eggs as well, three are going to be year old and the other was about two years old they told me.

 

[ScottM]

Evidence of a few feathers that have been taken out, but on the positive one layed an egg in the nest box, and i oversaw them rub shoulders with a few of the others.

 

[soot87]

We just did the same thing. Our flock was only with us for a week so I'm not too worried. We bought a 1 yr old buff as well and a production red. They are actually bigger than our first birds so hopefully all goes well. They picked on our leghorn a bit but we're doing ok. Keep you guys posted. Let me know how things go for you.

 

[ScottM]

While they still stick to their own somewhat, I'd call this integration a success