Chicken help needed

[hammerman]

Need some urgent advice. 3 new chooks settled in really well last wednesday so they've been in for 3 days and laying well. being a big softie, i was foolishly persuaded by wife and daughter to get another chook. We went to the local chook shop where i spoke to the bloke about adding another. he said that if i put a new one in, world wor 3 would break out. I explained that the 3 had only been there for 3 days and he said they should be ok then. So, thinking safety in numbers, i bought 2 more.....a light sussex and a brown jobbie whose name escapes me.

Anyway, world war 3 did ensue and the two newbies were picked on. I have now removed the 3 orginal chooks for a few hours to try to allow the newbies to get the feel of the run and to have some food. The original birds are in a large dog cage so no worries there either.

I put the chooks back in after 4 hours and again, the newcomers were forced onto the roof of the chook house.

I need your thoughts and advice on this. What would you do ? how long would you leave them etc etc Any advice is appreciated

HELP !!!!!

[sophie_1003]

I don't know if this will work now but when we introduced 2 new chickens we put them in at night; the theory goes that as the chooks are a bit dim when they wake up in the morning they will assume the newbies have always been there; worked with ours!

[hammerman]

Ive heard this too Sophie...thanks to you both for you answers

[josaphine32]

Introduction is best done at night when all chickens are asleep, Mix some vinegar and water in a squirty bottle and spray all chickens, It's ment to make them all smell the same by the morning, and this did help with introducing ours.

[Chaffinch]

Spraying all chooks with talc also works, but they will all settle. How large is your run. Mines about 24" by 18" and I have three chickens (the forth is inside Mr Fox)

[RATTER15]

You could put a cockerel in with them, he will keep them in order, other wise, just keep an eye on them so the don't get injured, as long as the all the chickens are roughly the same size they should sort it out between them in a few days.