Bringing your chickens home is an exciting time for everyone. It's great to watch your chickens settle in and explore their new environment. Finding your first egg from your chickens is egg-like, maybe even better than eating it. Read on to find out how to get your chickens settled in as quickly as possible and how to introduce your chickens to your other pets.
You can useOmlet chicken fenceto keep your chickens out of your flower beds
Introduce your chickens to their new home
Having your coop ready before your chickens arrive is the best way to ensure a smooth arrival. You probably brought your chickens home in a cardboard box or transport basket. When you bring them home, put this box in the yard, open it, and let them pop out when they're done. If they can't get out on their own, pick them up gently.
We introduce our chicks to their new orangeEglu classic chicken coop
You should keep your chickens confined to the coop for the first day so they know where to go for food and water at night. If your chicken coop does not have a ramp, it is advisable to store it in the coop overnight. After the first day and night you can let them out for a longer run or free range. They need to know where they can get food and water. For the first few days, you should check them a few times a day to make sure they are OK. When you go to lock them up, make sure they are inside.
Introducing your chickens to other pets
Try to avoid any introduction before your chickens are fully settled, as they may have difficulty relaxing in their new home if introduced to the dog too early. When we talk about other pets, we're talking about the pets your chickens will share their yard with. There is absolutely no need to introduce your chickens to the hammy hamster or your pet fish. If you have cats or dogs, you will need to provide an introduction before the two can be left alone to pee in the garden.
It can be very easy to introduce your new pet chickens to your cats and dogs
Chickens get along well with cats and dogs, and once they get used to each other, they don't need to pay much attention to each other. However, you should monitor it until you are sure that your chickens are not harmed by your pets.
Dogs
Your dog needs to know the basic commands 'sit' and 'away' (or 'no'). First, you should take your dog for a long walk to tire him/her out. then you can introduce them to the chickens. For the first introduction, it is best to keep your dog on a leash. This way they can get used to the chicks and you can easily correct shaky or unwanted behavior with a tug on the leash. Let your dog sniff the chickens if he wants. Your chickens are more likely to peck your dog in the nose than your dog is to hurt him.
Martin Dungey's beautiful dog guards their sweet chickens
The second introduction should be postponed until the next day. You must let your dog loose for this introduction. Command your dog to sit, then hold one of your chickens and gently place it on the ground. Stay nearby to ensure that if your dog goes after the chicken, you can intervene. Your dog will most likely smell the chicken and decide it's not that interesting. If your dog starts chasing or biting your chickens, consider building a chicken run that your dog can't get into.
Cats
If you have cats, you don't have to worry about them chasing your chickens. Chickens are quite large and a cat will not be very interested in them. If they seem interested, your chickens may stand up for themselves and will probably give them a kiss. This will be enough for your cat to learn to give him a wide berth.
A beautiful young black cat is introduced to an Omlet Gingernut Ranger chicken
For the first introduction, it is best to place your chickens in the run where the cat cannot get behind them. Then you can place your cat near the cage to see if he shows interest or not. You'll probably find that your cat will watch it for a while and quickly get bored. This is a good response because it indicates that your cat will not show any interest in it when it is free. After this you can walk your chickens and keep an eye on your cat and chickens.
