Feathered Family introductions

moonshadow_dancer · **Posted:** Tue Jun 24, 2008 9:57 pm

I would love to hear how others introduce their new poultry to their exsiting poultry family.

I usually pen them for a few days for 2 reasons, first so they get use to their new digs and the others can peek at them, and to make sure they are healthy.

Then late in the afternoon, I take my esky and go down to the pen, put them in the esky and carry them up to the house yard. I have my chair and straw broom (the broom monster) ready. I take them out of the esky and let them peck around. Of course all the others want to peck them so I show them the broom, they are like oh no the broom monster and take off. The newbies enjoy jumping all over the broom as it keeps the others at a safe distance. I do this about 2 hours before sundown. I then wait with them till it is going on dark and they get sleepy, they then go back into the esky for the trip to the pen. I then place them in there little nesting/sleeping box

I do this for a few weeks or until the others are bored with trying to chase them and realise they are part of the family.

I find the young hens and the guinea fowl are the ones that want to attack.

I would love to hear how others do it.

Take Care
Deb

Peter16 · **Posted:** Tue Jun 24, 2008 10:04 pm

Your way sounds really good,
I love the broom monster.

after i have quaranteened for 2 weeks, i let the existing girls out of their pen and they are free to roam around the backyard, and i let the new comers out also free to roam around the yard. this way, when they meet in the middle, and decide they do not like one another, they can run in the opposite direction (as seen here, Ella and Ginger http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAt-bosoclQ)

Yeah i do this for a few days, and i usually supervise just in case, and then once i feel everyone has accepted everyone elce, they merge into the one coop. :-D

PS. in the end, Ginger and Ella became best buddies, and usually went off in their separate foregoing parties :lol:

Stt · **Joined:** Sun Aug 19, 2007 7:01 pm **Posts:** 3006

i quaranteen for 2 weeks then let out the others and let them do their thing

moonshadow_dancer · **Posted:** Wed Jun 25, 2008 9:30 am

Hi Stuart,

I wish I had the confidence to do that, I just hate seeing the little bantams get beaten up, as the last 3 lots of poultry I have arrived home with have alll been bantams of different breeds.

Take Care
Deb

Stt · **Joined:** Sun Aug 19, 2007 7:01 pm **Posts:** 3006

i do it that way as i have no rooster trouble now i currenty have over 6 roosters along each other wihout problems and 2 weeks back i had an oeg with all of them and no trouble.

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