LER23
Songster
Here goes:
I just caught a beautiful adult hen (looks like a gold-laced Wyandotte) and am planning to integrate. She is pretty wild, as she has been living on the streets. I posted in local facebook pages about her, but no one claimed her.
I have a run that is attached to the coop/shed, and am keeping her there, with a large dog kennel covered with a tarp, with vinyl flooring on the bottom with deep litter. Also, I made a roost by putting a bare branch through the kennel wire.
So I think she will be o.k. for a couple of weeks, though I think she is upset due to leaving a clutch of eggs some where. I couldn't find where her eggs were, despite spending quite some time hunting. Question #1: Have I missed anything, as far as her comfort goes? (Note-she has food and water, and oyster shells, so that's cared for, and she is eating just fine).
Now for the meat of the problem: I don't know how to integrate. Yesterday was the first day my new girl and my flock met through the fence. I am keeping the coop/shed closed off from the enclosed run but the flock has a big backyard to free range in. My olive egger and my new girl tried to fight through the fence. My other 4, 2 production blue, 1 white leghorn, and 1 cream legbar, seem to be ignoring new girl. I think the pb's will be mean, as they chase the legbar and threaten her, but so far they are not interested in new girl. Leghorn and Legbar seem like they will be pretty easygoing about it all. My questions: How long to keep them completely separated before working on introductions? Would it be a good idea to work on integrating a few at a time-I am thinking that it might help to separate my Egger at first, because I think she might be a ringleader, encouraging the rest of the flock to attack the new girl. Should I keep them separated at night, if the integration seems to be going ok? I don't expect them to ever be buddies, and from what I have read about Wyandottes I might have trouble with new girl trying to be boss-if this is the case, do I even have a chance of getting her to be part of the flock?
What else should I be thinking about or doing, please?
Pics are of new girl. One shows her facing off with my Egger.
Thanks in advance!
I just caught a beautiful adult hen (looks like a gold-laced Wyandotte) and am planning to integrate. She is pretty wild, as she has been living on the streets. I posted in local facebook pages about her, but no one claimed her.
I have a run that is attached to the coop/shed, and am keeping her there, with a large dog kennel covered with a tarp, with vinyl flooring on the bottom with deep litter. Also, I made a roost by putting a bare branch through the kennel wire.
So I think she will be o.k. for a couple of weeks, though I think she is upset due to leaving a clutch of eggs some where. I couldn't find where her eggs were, despite spending quite some time hunting. Question #1: Have I missed anything, as far as her comfort goes? (Note-she has food and water, and oyster shells, so that's cared for, and she is eating just fine).
Now for the meat of the problem: I don't know how to integrate. Yesterday was the first day my new girl and my flock met through the fence. I am keeping the coop/shed closed off from the enclosed run but the flock has a big backyard to free range in. My olive egger and my new girl tried to fight through the fence. My other 4, 2 production blue, 1 white leghorn, and 1 cream legbar, seem to be ignoring new girl. I think the pb's will be mean, as they chase the legbar and threaten her, but so far they are not interested in new girl. Leghorn and Legbar seem like they will be pretty easygoing about it all. My questions: How long to keep them completely separated before working on introductions? Would it be a good idea to work on integrating a few at a time-I am thinking that it might help to separate my Egger at first, because I think she might be a ringleader, encouraging the rest of the flock to attack the new girl. Should I keep them separated at night, if the integration seems to be going ok? I don't expect them to ever be buddies, and from what I have read about Wyandottes I might have trouble with new girl trying to be boss-if this is the case, do I even have a chance of getting her to be part of the flock?
What else should I be thinking about or doing, please?
Pics are of new girl. One shows her facing off with my Egger.
Thanks in advance!