Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

New Bantams getting badly pecked

Options
  • 18-06-2012 11:21am
    #1
    Ding Dong
    Registered Users Posts: 230 ✭✭


    Have 4 hens and 2 bantams and at weekend got two more bantams. They sleep in a run at night and free range during day. Anyway, put new bantams into the run on their own sat afternoon, then when the others wanted in, put the bantams in the house and everyone settled in. Sun morning went to check and one of the bantams got a right hiding at the back of her head from one or more of the hens.
    I didn’t think she would survive a another morning like that, so have put them in separate run till later on in the week when they will be ‘homed’ then let them out to free range during the day.
    Anyway, Q is, should I just let them go thro a bit of pecking until the order is established, or let them free range w the rest during the day and house them separately at night for a while then put them in the main run?? I would like them housed w all the other hens but want to do it in such a way that the hens wont end up badly injured or worse!!


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    SligoEdo
    Registered Users Posts: 40 ✭SligoEdo


    You should keep them apart for a while, make sure they can see each other, but don't put them together.


  • Options
    #3
    Qualitymark
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,824 ✭✭✭Qualitymark


    When you introduce a new hen, take one of the others out and put her together with the new girl at night, let them wake up together and peck around for the day - even keep the two out together for a day or two.

    Then put both of them back into the henhouse together *at night*, roosting next to each other.

    This always worked for me; the new hen/s melded seamlessly into the flock.


Advertisement