- Aug 15, 2009
- 112
- 2
- 109
Background info:
I have a 7 mo. old Silky, 7 mo. old Bantam who I purchased as babies from TSC back in April along with 4 others who ended up being roos. Once they started fighting and being mean to the two hens, I re-homed the thee more aggresive roos and kept Ricky. All was well. Everyone got along and was one big happy family. I decided to adopted a hen who is probably about a month older than mine from a family who didn't want her anymore. She was the last of her flock to survive preditor attacks. I thought I would take her in and in and give her a nice loving home. She is a Rhode Island Red. She doesn't seem to like me or anyone for that matter. She makes a growling noise when ever I approach and I keep expecting her to attack me, though she hasn't so far. All 4 of them (three hens and roo) free ranged until roo got killed. I became over protective and now keep them locked up in the coop/run, which has plenty of space for them. Before Ricky died, my bantam became broody. I decided to let her sit on the eggs to see what happened. And they hatched out just last week.
Problem:
Bantam hatched out 5, one died of either falling out of the nest and being too cold without momma, or RIR killed it. 4 left. I went into the coop to discover all of this one day and realized that my poor bantam momma was being attacked by the RIR. RIR would go up to her, momma would gather her babies under her and scoot back as far in the nesting box as possible, and duck her head while RIR pecked the comb completly off. I was horrified! The only thing I knew to do to keep momma and her babies safe was to remove them from the coop. So, I put them in a large black dog cage and re-homed them to the garage until I could research what to do next. Momma and chicks are doing VERY well in the garage. They are getting bigger (which isn't saying much seeing as how both momma and pappa are bamtams), and momma is great with them. She trusts me with them, doesn't hide or act leary when I mess around with them. But I know it would be best to get them back out there, right?
Delima:
So, today, I cleaned out their cage, and decided to try them out in the coop. I took the cage to the coop and put them all back into it and gave them a while to settle in. Then I let the other two back in to see what would happen. NOT GOOD! I let the Silky in first. She went up to the cage and put her head down, as if bowing or something. Momma proceeded to put her head through the cage and peck her on the top of the head. I am sure that this is just a warming for Silky to stay away from her babies, right? Well, not too much concern because Silky isn't the real issue here.
Next, RIR came in. She stalked around the cage while momma quickly gathered her chicks to one corner of the cage and sat in from of them. Amazingly, they all got perfectly still and quiet. RIR, found a spot as close to the chicks and momma as possible and put her head through the cage and tried getting one of the chicks! What the HE**!!!!! This obviously is not going to work! What do I do. I cannot allow this RIR to attack and kill these babies! I cannot allow momma to die fighting for them!
I am at a total loss here. I have no earthly idea what to do! Things have gone so smoothly until now. I am worring myself sick here. Please, someone help me.
Someone mentioned that I should get another rooster to replace the one we lost. The roo would knock the RIR down a notch and put her back in her place. But, I don't trust just any roo. Any suggestions?
I have a 7 mo. old Silky, 7 mo. old Bantam who I purchased as babies from TSC back in April along with 4 others who ended up being roos. Once they started fighting and being mean to the two hens, I re-homed the thee more aggresive roos and kept Ricky. All was well. Everyone got along and was one big happy family. I decided to adopted a hen who is probably about a month older than mine from a family who didn't want her anymore. She was the last of her flock to survive preditor attacks. I thought I would take her in and in and give her a nice loving home. She is a Rhode Island Red. She doesn't seem to like me or anyone for that matter. She makes a growling noise when ever I approach and I keep expecting her to attack me, though she hasn't so far. All 4 of them (three hens and roo) free ranged until roo got killed. I became over protective and now keep them locked up in the coop/run, which has plenty of space for them. Before Ricky died, my bantam became broody. I decided to let her sit on the eggs to see what happened. And they hatched out just last week.
Problem:
Bantam hatched out 5, one died of either falling out of the nest and being too cold without momma, or RIR killed it. 4 left. I went into the coop to discover all of this one day and realized that my poor bantam momma was being attacked by the RIR. RIR would go up to her, momma would gather her babies under her and scoot back as far in the nesting box as possible, and duck her head while RIR pecked the comb completly off. I was horrified! The only thing I knew to do to keep momma and her babies safe was to remove them from the coop. So, I put them in a large black dog cage and re-homed them to the garage until I could research what to do next. Momma and chicks are doing VERY well in the garage. They are getting bigger (which isn't saying much seeing as how both momma and pappa are bamtams), and momma is great with them. She trusts me with them, doesn't hide or act leary when I mess around with them. But I know it would be best to get them back out there, right?
Delima:
So, today, I cleaned out their cage, and decided to try them out in the coop. I took the cage to the coop and put them all back into it and gave them a while to settle in. Then I let the other two back in to see what would happen. NOT GOOD! I let the Silky in first. She went up to the cage and put her head down, as if bowing or something. Momma proceeded to put her head through the cage and peck her on the top of the head. I am sure that this is just a warming for Silky to stay away from her babies, right? Well, not too much concern because Silky isn't the real issue here.
Next, RIR came in. She stalked around the cage while momma quickly gathered her chicks to one corner of the cage and sat in from of them. Amazingly, they all got perfectly still and quiet. RIR, found a spot as close to the chicks and momma as possible and put her head through the cage and tried getting one of the chicks! What the HE**!!!!! This obviously is not going to work! What do I do. I cannot allow this RIR to attack and kill these babies! I cannot allow momma to die fighting for them!
I am at a total loss here. I have no earthly idea what to do! Things have gone so smoothly until now. I am worring myself sick here. Please, someone help me.
Someone mentioned that I should get another rooster to replace the one we lost. The roo would knock the RIR down a notch and put her back in her place. But, I don't trust just any roo. Any suggestions?
