# New to Chicken keeping!



## HellsBells (Sep 9, 2013)

Hi - I live on the south coast of England and have just discovered the joys of backyard chicken keeping. I started with 3 Plymouth Barred Rocks who are now 4 months old. Unfortunately I didn't research properly and bought two white Polish. The original girls hate them so I now have the start of two flocks! My questions are these. The Polish we're laying when I picked them up. With the move, how long till they start again? The second question, they have outside runs on grass - in this weather it is turning to mud. What should I put down? Thank you


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## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

Hello and Welcome ! How old are you polish? Also how old were the barred rocks when you introduced the polish? Lastly did you introduce them slowly or just put them all together ?


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## HellsBells (Sep 9, 2013)

Apyl said:


> Hello and Welcome ! How old are you polish? Also how old were the barred rocks when you introduced the polish? Lastly did you introduce them slowly or just put them all together ?


Not sure of the age of the Polish but they had just started laying. I only got them a few days ago. The Barred Rocks are just four months. I suppose I did kind of rush it but the rocks who are twice the size of the Polish went straight for the top knots and took out a clump of feathers! The Polish haven't layer since I got them either (only a few days) but I guess that's normal when you move them? One last thing - the Polish don't seem to be able to find their way back into the hen house (an Eglu) in the evening - will they eventually?


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## Bee (Jun 20, 2013)

HellsBells said:


> Hi - I live on the south coast of England and have just discovered the joys of backyard chicken keeping. I started with 3 Plymouth Barred Rocks who are now 4 months old. Unfortunately I didn't research properly and bought two white Polish. The original girls hate them so I now have the start of two flocks! My questions are these. The Polish we're laying when I picked them up. With the move, how long till they start again? The second question, they have outside runs on grass - in this weather it is turning to mud. What should I put down? Thank you


Give them time...they will work out the pecking order and it always involves..pecking. They don't "hate" each other at all..it's just social structures and the blending of them in a flock is often a little battle until everyone learns their place in the main flock.

If you start building separate pens for all the chickens that don't get along, you will soon have a whole yard full of pens and cause yourself way more stress than chickens should ever cause. Give them plenty of space and different places of being, spacious roosting options and a feeder that isn't too small so they can space out along it.

They will start to lay when things calm down and they are less stressed about the move and the new situation, with having to join another flock and finding their place in it.

You can start deep litter in that run to improve the soil quality, their lives and health, while also helping you immensely with managing their manure and the smells of it all. You can find information on deep litter here and all over the net...it's easily done and you can use materials out of your own yard to build up a deep litter pack. You can also use it in the coop to create a better coop environment.


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## HellsBells (Sep 9, 2013)

Bee said:


> Give them time...they will work out the pecking order and it always involves..pecking. They don't "hate" each other at all..it's just social structures and the blending of them in a flock is often a little battle until everyone learns their place in the main flock.
> 
> If you start building separate pens for all the chickens that don't get along, you will soon have a whole yard full of pens and cause yourself way more stress than chickens should ever cause. Give them plenty of space and different places of being, spacious roosting options and a feeder that isn't too small so they can space out along it.
> 
> ...


Thank you so much Bee - I have a lot to learn!


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## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

This is why you need to slowly introduce. The flock already had a pecking order down, by adding the new members so quickly that pecking order needs to be re-established. It's also wide to quarantine for a few weeks. I do 30 days, just to be sure there are no illnesses from the new birds being brought it. As for not going in the coop, well they have no clue the coop is their house. They need to be introduced to it. Right now the best thing to do is keep an eye on them. If you see blood drawn I would separate them but to where the original birds can see them. Give it a week or so and then introduce them back together. You are going to need to make the Polish get into the coop, after while they will figure out its home. As for the eggs, yeah they are just freaked out.They were removed from their home and tossed in with a flock that picks on them. Until things calm down and the pecking order is in place the Polish will be out of sync with laying .


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## HellsBells (Sep 9, 2013)

Apyl said:


> This is why you need to slowly introduce. The flock already had a pecking order down, by adding the new members so quickly that pecking order needs to be re-established. It's also wide to quarantine for a few weeks. I do 30 days, just to be sure there are no illnesses from the new birds being brought it. As for not going in the coop, well they have no clue the coop is their house. They need to be introduced to it. Right now the best thing to do is keep an eye on them. If you see blood drawn I would separate them but to where the original birds can see them. Give it a week or so and then introduce them back together. You are going to need to make the Polish get into the coop, after while they will figure out its home. As for the eggs, yeah they are just freaked out.They were removed from their home and tossed in with a flock that picks on them. Until things calm down and the pecking order is in place the Polish will be out of sync with laying .


Thank you Apyl - I will be patient


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## HellsBells (Sep 9, 2013)

HellsBells said:


> Thank you Apyl - I will be patient


My polish just laid their first egg (with me that is). It is very clean so I guess that's a sign of them being in good condition?


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## GratefulGirl (Sep 10, 2012)

Welcome! You have come to the right place for great advice! Many experienced chicken keepers here willing to share!


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## HellsBells (Sep 9, 2013)

GratefulGirl said:


> Welcome! You have come to the right place for great advice! Many experienced chicken keepers here willing to share!


Thank you. It is beginning to take over my life! I just love my chickens!!


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## englishchick (Aug 17, 2012)

Hiya,

I know what you mean though when mixing two flocks. I have ex bats who were not impressed to have two RIR's join them. I put them in at night thinking that would be it but the ex batts were awful to them for weeks. But now all is good and they have been accepted. There were times when I was going to separate them but didn't. They had to find order. Just do it slowly and watch over them when you do it again. But don't be worried if things get abit aggressive. They have to sort themselves out and once they have harmony will reign!


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## cluck13 (Jun 14, 2013)

Hi HellsBells - very happy that one of your Polish has layed. As you are coming into Autum and winter the laying of eggs will reduce with the daylength shortening. This is normal, also your hens will molt during this time. Once molting has finished egg production should start again.

Enjoy your hens


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