Went to buy a bigger coop.....

[Dan B]

...and came home with two new hens.

So we found a good deal on Craig's list and went to see the coop this guy was selling. I bought it because we wanted more hens. While we were there, I seen two of the prettiest Ameraucana's in his pen. Joking around I asked him how much and he priced them to me for $15 each. A few bucks more than I should have paid, but dang these gals are beautiful. The are just old enough to start laying and he said that he got his first EE yesterday from one of them.

So anyways....we get the coop home and head down to introduce the two new galls to our small flock. We have two RIR's and two Barred Rocks. As soon s I let the Ameraucana's out the two RIR's gang attacked one of them. It looked like to roos going at it. I felt like I was at an illegal cock fight! The Ameraucana held her ground but she was no match for two at one time. So we got them separated and the queen of the roost (one of our big Barred Rocks) decided it was time to draw blood. She went over and attacked the same one and kicked the living **** out of that Ameraucana. No mercy and no holds bared. We had to let the 4 girls go up for the night and then let the two new Ameraucana's stay in the 20x10 run. We put a iglue doghoue in there for them to sleep in tonight. Tomorrow the other 4 gals will get to free range while the new ones get use to the run and the coop. We might try this for a week and hopefully when I get the new coop added to the run, they can all get use to the new coop together (in peace). If not then I will leave both coops attached to the run and let the Ameraucana's live in the smaller one and the other 4 gals live int he bigger one.

Tell me if this is normal fighting for hens - Video here

I'm thinking my original four are haters!

 

[clucksbc]

It takes time...for everyone to adjust...
the igloo sounds perfect...
the first time I initiated a new one...I unfortunatly did it the same. way...
hello girls...look who I brought home...
not a good idea...
a lot of pecking and controlling but no where as bad as what you are discribing...
it is best to keep the new ones apart...but still close...so they can get used too each other without conflict and you can assess to make sure the new girls are health...

then somepeople slip them into the roost at night when all s calm and in the morning...they smell the same,...
I find though it does take a good 5 days...for things to adjust...

 

[hollyehall]

We acquired three hens from someone who could no longer keep them about three months ago. We already had three who we'd raised together from chicks. The new group came with their own house which we placed near the original house, but completely separate. During the day we would let them all out into the back yard- not the fenced run. After about two weeks of this we installed their hen house opposite the first house with the fenced run accessible to both. They were well acquainted by that point, so there were no serious problems. Two of the original three now lay in the new house most of the time. I think that's something of a power play, but they don't fight. The first group needs to be sure to remind the second group they were here first! The new three never lay in the original house. At night they stay in their threesomes for sleeping, always in their own houses.

 

[azygous]

That happens with even chickens separated, then reintroduced. After I got my first two adopted adult hens, one died and I got another from the same source. Even thought the two hens had lived together just a couple weeks ago, when I put the new-comer into the pen, the other stood motionless for about a minute, then pecked her soundly on the top of her head. Then all was well.

Another time, I had to segregate a sick hen who happened to be an alpha hen. When she was well and went back to the pen, the candidate who was next in pecking order took exception and flogged her. She was still too weak to defend herself so I helped out until the challenging hen gave up.

It's best, I've discovered, to introduce or re-introduce chickens in a protective manner slowly to avoid messy altercations. Pen politics is a rather complicated affair.

 

[Johnn]

if it were me i would have grabbed one of them to make it fair then when the last two were done let the othere one down