Is this cruel and will it work?

[lettucegrow!]

Have posted this elsewhere but really would like some input before I carry on regardless.When I got my hens I used water as a deterrent to stop my cat chasing them. I'm wondering if this will work long term with introducing new hens to an existing two to stop the henpecking. I find the attacking very distressing and want to integrate them. I know I'm inpatient and it will take time but I would like to help the process along.
Any thoughts on this anyone? Has anyone else tried it?

[chris]

What do you mean? Squirting or throwing water over the hens?

I highly doubt it'll work. Besides, you can't be there all the time to do it - it'll happen in the coop when you can't see, etc - Chickens have a strict "pecking order", and the dominant ones in the chain will express their authority over the ones below them to re-inforce this fact (such as getting in the nestbox first, or eating first).

I know it is distressing, I watched 3 of mine pretty much pin one of my hens down and peck her, pull feathers out - and also peck at her already broken beak. In the end, when I just left them to it things started to smooth out.

If there's places for the one being attacked to hide, and they have plenty of space (my downfall was this - I kept them all locked in the run together, when they normally free range around my garden) then the introductions will go sooner.

My advice is just to leave them to it, let them establish the new order (the current one will be disrupted with the introductions of your new hens, there might even be a change in top hen too - which of course will delay things, as the current top hen isn't just going to sit back and take it!). A couple of tips is to scatter corn (if you give it) far and wide where you give it them so they can all eat together, but not in such close proximity, and hang greens up etc to distract the original flock.

The only thing you can really do above this is to keep an eye on them to see if the underdog is being attacked violently, and if so take appropriate action.

Of course the above is if they've just been put in together.. the other option is to separate them, via netting or a separate area where they can see each other and therefore get used to each other before being introduced.

I know it's not really what you wanted to hear, it wasn't what I did - but seriously, as soon as I let them get on with things and I stopped interfering they started to get along much better.

[petal]

They are not very waterproof so best not to chuck water on them. Thats really good advice from Chris.
Thinking back to the days without a cockerel around to sort this out...So, place new hens in coop at night, I would scatter corn, hang up green vegetables, if one of hens is ring leader and particularly nasty it gets removed for a bit, sometimes I have put new hen with top hen in a separate pen so they become best friends then reintroduced them. So, don't despair, there are lots of things you can do. (Of course, we don't need to worry about any of these measures as our cockerels simply will not tolerate poor behaviour!!!)

[lettucegrow!]

Thanks, I know all of these tactics and it's pretty much what i' m doing. We're in week two and things are calmer but I'm going for slowly approach . During day when I'm at work the new girls are in a small coop inside bigger enclosure and I let them out when
I get in but I've been letting the older two in the garden .
I do get the feeling I'm delaying what they naturally need to do.
I said I wouldn't do this again but was down to two hens and didn't want to end up with just one.
Have you used anti peck spray with any success?

[lettucegrow!]

Might try removing the nasty girl , that might work. I 've read it can take weeks but wish I could be around more in the day. Weekends coming so will be a good time to go for it , put them all together and see how it works out.

[chris]

I have, yes the johnsons ones - they pecked it, but then licked it all off them. So it stopped them pecking them, but didn't stop them bothering them

stick the top hen in the small coop, and let the others in the larger one for a couple of days?

[Glutton4...]

You could try spraying them all with a mild vinegar solution, so they all smell the same, ut I've never bothered. My only advice is; KEEP THEM TOGETHER! You are making it worse by separating them, give them plenty of room, and hidey-holes, and just let the vicious little wotsits sort themselves out. Cruel to be kind, an' all that. Good luck!

[angelat]

hi,
i had this problem some months ago when i introduced a new hen, it was the new hen that was picking on the resident one!! it was very distressing but i found the best way was to leave them to it, it didnt last for long. scattering the corn is also good because they get to eat together but apart if you know what i mean. they are inseperable now yet at the time i thought they would never get on.

[BarleySugar]

I've had my two new ones for several weeks now. They still prefer to keep out of the way on the top of the coop most of the time, and they don't come out of the run when I let them into the garden (they could if they wanted to, I don't shut them in). In the mornings when I open the coop they hang back until the others have had first go at the food, but at night they go to bed themselves. After the first week, when I made sure they had seperate access to food and water I just left them to it. I suppose I was lucky, no blood or feathers. I had tamed them quite a bit by feeding them corn from a cup while they are on the top of the coop, and taking the opporunity to stoke them, so they aren't that nevrvous of me now. There's only one of the older ones still a pain, she'll go for them whatever they do, but they just run out of the way. Eventually I'm hoping for one happy family.