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ok oh wise chicky women of backyard chickens I have a couple of questions.

we were down to just my one bantam hen. I got 3 chicks, a buff orphington and 2 araucana. my hen just pecks the crap out of them when they happen to be in the same vicinity. i have two coops that are connected by one run. and i let the hen out but i cant let them out together. any advice on getting my hen to play nice. they have been cooped next to each other for a week and a half i think. the chicks just got their feathers.

second question.. said hen is getting out of the run (not a huge deal she can't leave the back yard and just roams it with our pig. but the past two nights i'm coming home at 10pm-midnight and she is up and pecking at the back door.. WHY IS SHE AWAKE AT MIDNIGHT?!?! I have seen her jump the run and jump back in.. why is she still awake?
 
Peep_Show said:
Happy Easter everyone!

Update:
Looks like the permanent move is (finally) happening. Quick recap: Mom passed away a year ago March and since then my life was upended with getting her estate squared away (multiple properties that needed clearing out which were located out of state, estate sales, auctions, real estate transactions, yada yada) and then, to frost my own cupcake, I bought a farm property in desperate need of rehab and updating and have spent spare time (?!?!) summer and winter making it livable. Today I am faced with a canyon of boxes and a UHaul in the driveway tomorrow for the first of many trips. Funny, I told my husband I didn't want to spend another sweltering summer in Las Vegas. Little did I know my year's physical endeavors would have me sweating more than any season here ever has.

I am SO excited to be able to have a chicken coop at the new place...spare time has been spent sketching as the land is already cleared for construction. That and hatching again... Hey, Tracy, how's the egg color on the Wheaten Marans? Is it noticeably darker than other eggs? I'm contemplating some for my flock.

Hope everybody's doing well and enjoying the day.
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I am very happy for you, though we will miss you and your wit and knowledge greatly. The wheaties do have quite dark eggs, only out done by my copper marans x cuckoo marans cross. Good luck with the move.


decembermoon said:
ok oh wise chicky women of backyard chickens I have a couple of questions.

we were down to just my one bantam hen. I got 3 chicks, a buff orphington and 2 araucana. my hen just pecks the crap out of them when they happen to be in the same vicinity. i have two coops that are connected by one run. and i let the hen out but i cant let them out together. any advice on getting my hen to play nice. they have been cooped next to each other for a week and a half i think. the chicks just got their feathers.

second question.. said hen is getting out of the run (not a huge deal she can't leave the back yard and just roams it with our pig. but the past two nights i'm coming home at 10pm-midnight and she is up and pecking at the back door.. WHY IS SHE AWAKE AT MIDNIGHT?!?! I have seen her jump the run and jump back in.. why is she still awake?
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I am not that wise but do have a bit of experience. Your hen will continue to peck at your chicks. This is natural. They would normally have a mother to protect them from the other grown ups until they are teenagers, at which time she chases them away during the day and may or may not allow them to roost with her at night. For your chicks safety, they should be separated from adults until they are several months old and can fend for themselves or at least are not in danger of being pecked to death. Very, very rarely, a hen will be willing to mother growing chicks that are not her own but I wouldn't hope for it in this case.

As for what she's doing up so late...? I have no idea, unless she wants something from you. She may not have the visibility to return to the run if she's out after dark. My recommendation is to get some bird block and cover the run with it to keep her in. You don't really want her running around without you there. I have some hens (EE's) that automatically take any fence as a personal challenge. I would hate to loose them, but don't want to clip their wing so...bird block works for me. Plus, it helps keep some of the wild bird population out of my hens feed.

Hope that helps!

I would like to meet up and am currently needing some fertilized eggs for several broody hens to hatch. Please pm me if you have any (not mixed breed, unless EE) available.

Thanks!
 
the irony is it is bird blocked but she is still finding a way out. we have yet to watch her do it.. i will set up a camera i think.. lol shes a bantam seabright so pretty itty bitty.

and thanks i was hoping there was a way to help them get along. i will wait until they are about her size before letting them cohabitate
 

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