I've given in!

[TPeers]

Poor little Kiev - I've given in and taken her out of the hen house!

I thought they would all settle but it isn't to be. I watched this morning as Blackie and Marie went into the roost, heard the attack and watched the older girls come out. They chatted to each other for a few minutes, then went back up and did the same again. And again, and again. After the fouth attack I went in and drove them off her - she was pinned in a corner of the house and they were trying to rip her feathers out.

Poor little Kiev, I took her out and calmed her down, gave her some food and water - she was very thirsty! Then Hazel and I moved the little ark onto the patio, put a bag of bark chippings down in the run and a nice box of straw in the coop and moved little Kiev in..... poor girl in on her own now, but at least she will live! I really thought they were going to try and kill her.

Now I have a dilemma - I really don't want more birds but there is only so much I can do to keep little Kiev company and unless she develops an aggressive gene she will always be attacked by the other girls.

What can I do?

Terry

[Hazel at the Hill]

I've never kept a chicken in my life (and after the experience of yoanbob, don't think I could face it - too stressful by half!) but I did wonder whether you could put Kiev in with just one of the big bullies to start with? Perhaps the older girls gang up on her, but it wouldn't happen with a one on one?

Just a thought!

[TPeers]

It might even be worth a try! I thought I would give her a few weeks to finish growing - maybe when she is full size she won't look like such a good target?

[Hazel at the Hill]

The other thing is perhaps to get a younger chook (I know you said you didn;t want any more!) to put in with Kiev so she can establish a higher pecking order of her own with a younger bird?

[TPeers]

Guess what I *didn't* want to do!

I have the horrid suspicion that getting a young bantam to be her friend may turn out to be the only answer - but it *has* to be a last resort - this is getting out of hand!

I got Kiev and Kentucky because keeping only two seemed unwise - if I lost one then the other was all alone, which is not good for a social flock bird like a chicken.

Now I am in that situation and the prospect of runing two flocks....... Aggghhh!

[daisychook]

Hi Terry
Sorry to hear whats happening. As you know we are only just getting over our 'challenge'

Can you decide who is the actual bully - cos our Daisy followed Renees lead at picking - when Renee was out of the run, Daisy left Marge alone.
So if you can do this, take the bully out for a while, then when you put her back (if this works and the other one stops picking) then the bully will be at the bottom of the pecking order and it should all stop.

Renee had a particular nasty case of hating Marge, and we had to part company. She is now free ranging with some black Norfolk Turkeys so is probably rather contrite now, and this may be something you have to consider.

We made the decision not to part with the 'victim' as she hadnt done anything wrong, although you may decide the reverse, and poor Kiev may have to go. Its a tough one, and you are in for a stressful few days (you will thank me for confirming that I know )

Dont give up just yet, it does take time for them all to settle, although I appreciate your situation (only too well!!)

Hope it all settles down,

[TPeers]

Oh Gee, thanks!

Unfortunatly it seems to be both Blackie and Marie fairly equally. Maybe a touch more Blackie. Don't want to have all the birds upset though, and they have accepted Kentucky, no problem.

I don't know - maybe sleeping on it will be the answer.

[ChrisB]

Guess what I *didn't* want to do!

I have the horrid suspicion that getting a young bantam to be her friend may turn out to be the only answer - but it *has* to be a last resort - this is getting out of hand!

I got Kiev and Kentucky because keeping only two seemed unwise - if I lost one then the other was all alone, which is not good for a social flock bird like a chicken.

Now I am in that situation and the prospect of runing two flocks....... Aggghhh!

Hi TPeers

Didn't anybody tell you that keeping chickens is addictive, you never have enough and there are always more you want

If you could cope with one more bird, you could try several pernutations, and none would then be on their own.

Kiev with new bird, after a couple of weeks split the bullies, split Kiev and new bird and re-arrange. Alernatively split the bullies now and put Kiev with one and new bird with the other, then in a couple of weeks put them all back in together to sort out the pecking order again.

Good luck, I know it can be very distressing watching them fighting.

[Alice]

Hello Terry, I don't keep chickens and no expert on the subject, but I believe the theory is remove the bullies (not the bullied) and put them where they can watch the bullied taking posession of the territory. When you reintroduce the bullies they should accept the others claims to the territories. Well that's the theory anyway. Hope it all works out.

[xspye]

chickens are very simple creatures and will attack anything they think is new and they decide is a threat. It may be that they just need to get used to the new chook. If possible section of a part of the run and put kiev in there, she will be close enough for the others to get used to her and accept her as one of them but protected from any attack. I've if you do this for a week or so then take the barrier down hopedully all will be ok.

Good luck

[TPeers]

Thanks Xspy - I thought I had done that by having the little ark touching the larger run, but presumably this was not sufficiently close......

[kirsty b]

[QUOTE=xspye;102655]chickens are very simple creatures and will attack anything they think is new and they decide is a threat. It may be that they just need to get used to the new chook. If possible section of a part of the run and put kiev in there, she will be close enough for the others to get used to her and accept her as one of them but protected from any attack. I've if you do this for a week or so then take the barrier down hopedully all will be ok.

Good luck[/
When we got the Rhodies and the Bantam, we had already had the warrens for about a week. We kept the 3 newbies in a small run within the large run so that they could all see each other for at least a week, then at dusk one evening we put all 7 birds into bed together and the next morning they all seemed to get on ok. A little bit of sqabbling but not too bad. I'm pretty sure I got the advice on doing that from on here somwhere. Good luck

[CountryFayre]

I would take both the older birds out of the main run and put kiev in. After a few days I would then put the lesser bully back in the house (preferably after dark) wait a few more days and then add number 3. That way Kiev will be on 'home' ground when you put the first bird back in, giving kiev 1 point advantage. When you then put offender no 2 back, she will hopefully be bottom of the pecking order. I would put her back in after dark too.

[TPeers]

Thanks everyone,

It is interesting to note that Kiev has blossomed on her own! She comes out and chats to me, scratches around (which she wouldn't before) and will roost on the perch, which, again, she wouldn't before.

She is also eating notably better, still only about half what the hybrids eat, but she's young and a pure breed and there will be differences.

Since she is happy without the others (at the moment she is the only one that gets to free range the garden with me with any regularity) I will keep her seperate until she is full grown and starting to lay. As that point I think that a combination approach of remove the hybrids to the small ark and put Kiev in with just Kentucky for a few days, then put Marie and finally Blackie in there while keeping the little ark touching the larger run should work.

As has been stated by having Kiev in there without the two bullies it should become 'her' territory. I then only have to worry about Kentucky!


Hens............. It seemed like such a good idea!

[daisychook]

All part of the fun eh?!!!