Please help, I created a mess of my flock

[bhawk-23]

Long story short, my two flocks who were integrating great is all messed up because of me.

I had 11 hens who got along great. I had 5 pullets who all got along great. They were integrating without issues. Plenty of space so little to no bullying.

Two bonded pullets got sick so they came inside. One passes and the other seems to be recovering so I brought another pullet for a couple days so she could go back outside with a friend. She was bottom in order, very timid and still recovering so I thought it was a good idea. Well, she passed. So then I tried adding Fluffy back in. Well the top pullet was not having it. Fluffy submitted and retreated but the bully would pursue. I tried submitting her but that did not work. I caved her for 36 hours but as soon as she came out she was in hot pursuit. I snatched her up, brought her inside for the day and set her on the roost with the big girls at night locking her out from the two pullets. This has been ok because the hens are not mean to her though she does call for the other two and follows me around when I’m outside.

I know I messed up. I never should have brought in the third pullet to help the recovering pullet.

So now I have 8 hens and the pullet (18 week old black Sumatra) in the lower coop (100sq ft with access to outside, the two bantam pullets inside the upper coop (30 sq ft no access to outside), and one bantam inside the house ready to go back out.

My thoughts are to add the inside bantam to the coop with the two bantam pullets under supervision. She lost her bonded friend to mareks in September and has been on the outskirts since.

My hopes are the 3 bantams would be a flock and the 8 hens/pullet would be a flock and then peacefully co-exist side by side, there is plenty of space.

My major concern is the Black Sumatra pullet going after her hatch mate again. Is there a chance that Sumi being with, and accepted by, the older hens for a week will keep her in that flock when they free range? They were already mingling together before putting her in with them permanently which is why I felt safe doing it.

Then they can go back to two peaceful co-existing flocks?
How bad did I mess up?

Any advice offered is appreciated! Thank you!

 

[nuthatched]

Chickens forget flock mates quickly.
Did you try the see but no touch method of re introduction.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Anytime you take a chicken out of the pecking order she will be on the bottom upon return to the flock. Use this to your advantage and take the boss hen out for a day or two and see if that gets her bullying under control. I have done this many times so don't feel bad! Flock dynamics can be complicated. You might have to try a few things to get it to work. Having two flocks is a pain but that's what I have right now so I feel your pain. You can also try free-ranginf everyone together during the day and then putting them up separately at night for a week or two then trying to put them together at night and see how they do.

 

[bhawk-23]

Chickens forget flock mates quickly.
Did you try the see but no touch method of re introduction.

Too quick! 48 hrs and it’s like they never existed
I did the bully jail for 24 hrs inside the upper coop but that did nothing. And she was agitated the whole time. I brought the bully to the inside jail but she was really unsettled. I’ve not had a chicken, even my rooster, not settle in within a few hours of covered and quiet darkness. I had researched her breed and know they are not good with confinement and worried I would do more damage to her than desired. That is when I snuck her in with the older gals. She is doing fine in with them.

I worried that sticking fluffy in the cage in the coop would only give her less confidence and Sumi more.

 

[bhawk-23]

Anytime you take a chicken out of the pecking order she will be on the bottom upon return to the flock. Use this to your advantage and take the boss hen out for a day or two and see if that gets her bullying under control. I have done this many times so don't feel bad! Flock dynamics can be complicated. You might have to try a few things to get it to work. Having two flocks is a pain but that's what I have right now so I feel your pain. You can also try free-ranginf everyone together during the day and then putting them up separately at night for a week or two then trying to put them together at night and see how they do.

Thank you, I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who struggles with pecking order stuff.

They already free range together and roost in the same coop/run.

The change up I made was since the hens roost in the open air part of the run (which is cover with panels currently for winter) and the bantams and new pullets are started off in the enclosed upper coop I just put Sumi on the outside roosts with the hens and closed the doors to the enclosed coop so she could not access it. The two bantams are up there.

My plan is to put a cage in the upper coop to do the look no touch method for adding the 3rd bantam. And after the snow and frigid cold passes open up the upper coop after the hens have moved on out to the yard.

This is how I did the introduction of the pullets and hens before. The pullets seemed to know to stay away from the hens and the hens had enough space to not really care about them. The pullets even learned to roost in their upper coop before the hens made their way in and everything seemed to go perfectly! Too perfectly. If the two pullets did not get sick I think it would be a very different atmosphere right now. My removal of Fluffy from the mix was the move that messed it all up.

 

[bhawk-23]

Update:

One of the bantam pullets died from Mareks and Sumi was killed by a hawk.
The two bantams left have been side by side inside for a week but they are not getting along when put together, supervised. The hen is going crazy being inside for so long that I decided to put them outside on a see but no touch with the larger flock. The hen flew over the fence and settled right back in, even dust bathing with the top hen no one picked on the bantam pullet and all seemed well. I went out to check again an hour later and the pullet was hiding. Still not being picked on, I watched again, I believe she might have the “victim” mentality,

Since there is no fighting or even picking on her I am thinking to get her outside with the flock daily and hope she gains more confidence. Does this seem reasonable? Any other thoughts? Thanks!

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

Update:

One of the bantam pullets died from Mareks and Sumi was killed by a hawk.
The two bantams left have been side by side inside for a week but they are not getting along when put together, supervised. The hen is going crazy being inside for so long that I decided to put them outside on a see but no touch with the larger flock. The hen flew over the fence and settled right back in, even dust bathing with the top hen no one picked on the bantam pullet and all seemed well. I went out to check again an hour later and the pullet was hiding. Still not being picked on, I watched again, I believe she might have the “victim” mentality,

Since there is no fighting or even picking on her I am thinking to get her outside with the flock daily and hope she gains more confidence. Does this seem reasonable? Any other thoughts? Thanks!

How is it going?!

 

[bhawk-23]

How is it going?!

My biggest lesson learned is to stop meddling while trying to keep my flock all rainbows and sunshine. Apparently I don’t know better than the natural order of chicken politics

The bantam hen is all good. Assimilating back into the flock after a 5 week absence has gone quite well. She eats after the top hens leave but she always has.

Fluffy though is still terrified despite not being bullied. Believe me, I watch her like a hawk because I am so damn attached to her. Which is another lesson learned, do not ever get this attached to a chicken you’re your hubs is not going to let you keep inside!

My friend has a flock of vaccinated silkies to which we already have one who is doing well in our MD and MG flock. She graciously gave us a low ranking hen hoping these two docile girls would do great together. Yeah, fluffy has been babied her entire life and Qt has had to fight for her place and food. I’m sure you can guess where this is going.
Currently, Qt is outside in a look but no touch area. Fluffy is with the flock but she definitely still stays to herself. This part has been disappointing and very hard on me.

I will close out the big girls from the coop and run Sunday late afternoon and give Qt and Fluffy time in there together with me. It will be interesting to see if Qt has had an attitude adjustment being in time out and suddenly fluffy seems like a good docile friend or or still jus a punching bag. I also want to see if she goes back to roost before letting her free range.

Overall lesson learned is to stop meddling in chicken politics. I am extremely fortunate to have never had a wound that needed treatment from fighting and very few intense arguments between flock members. I need to just appreciate that.