Chicken Bullies

[Chilcoj]

Hi All

I got 5 new chooks on Saturday to increase our fun from our original three. We had an Amber Star (Rosemary), a Sussex Star (Sage) and a Speckledy (Thyme).

We got ourselves 2 Brown Leghorns and 3 Bovan Goldline.

We've been trying the phased introduction and having two runs close together and until this morning we only had a few spats and swipes. This morning we had Rosemary pinning one of the Goldlines to the floor with the other two going in full tilt - not a pretty site, didn't sound very good either.

We immediately seperated them all and are going to persevere and put Thyme in on her own tomorrow but has anyone got any other ideas??

Cheers
Janette

[witch-1]

My book (as I have no ideas myself ) says unless one hen is being badly picked on do not interfere as - even if it takes a few days - they will finally sort it out and go on to live in harmony. (It also says that introducing or removing a bird can start the process again).

Other than that (I've now scoured 3 books)... its all I can offer.

All the best and hope they sort themselves out soon.

Jan

[ChrisB]

I had a similar problem once and I ended up splitting both groups and making two new ones, ensuring the bully is in with the strongest of the new bunch

Throws them into utter confusion and they all have to start sorting out a new pecking order

I then, after a few days, moved some of the stronger group back in with the quieter ones, gave it a few more days and did the same again, until they were all integrated.

Another option I recently read about, is to take the bully, isolate her for a couple of days then re-intoduce her to the flock

Good luck, and keep us posted as to how things are going

[Chilcoj]

Well you all were right

It did turn into world war 3!! The old girls pinned the little uns down and the noise was horrendous. My OH rushed to the rescue and we ended up with the old girls back to the old coop.

We persevered and put them all together whilst keeping a close eye on them. Now several days later the screaming has started to get less but there is still feather pulling and nasty behaviour. My OH is still very anxious but is being very brave about it.

The current pecking order is the old girls, the Legorns and lastly the little Goldlines.

Fingers crossed it will keep getting better and then we can have harmony back in the coop

[ChrisB]

Glad it's all sorting itself out for you

It can be very distressing watching them beat living daylights out of each other

[heebiejeebie]

My girls are still squabbling too after a week - we let the big bullies out to wander for 10 minutes yesterday just before bedtime and the two littleuns immediately got their heads in the trough and stuffed their beaks. Poor things!

[TPeers]

If you can, put two feeders and two drinkers in, in opposite corners if possible. It's great fun watching Mrs Bully try to be in four places at once!

[Chilcoj]

New chicken coop

You will all be pleased to know that WW3 has subsided to minor skurmishes!

My OH built a new chicken coop so that they could all have more room and the extra space seems to have made a difference. I have attached pictures so you can see. What do you think??







Sorry about the colour....started with it before OH remembered we did have some green we could have used...never mind (next time).

[kirsty b]

Wow it looks fab in there. Given me ideas on rearranging my nestboxes now the girls have started to perch.

[Chilcoj]

Yes they are brill. My OH has made them bottomless so all you do to clean them out is pick them up and all the rest falls through.

The girls like them too....they all seem to fight over the one nearest the door.