Adding a pullet...HELP please

[The Noodle Farm]

you should get more hens 3 doesn't work i know from personal experience this is what happens: one hen is dominant one is middle and the other is at the bottom. the dominant and middle will pick on the bottom one and might kill her. the more hens you have the less this will happens  

Geez! I really didn't think they would be that bad. I am in the city. I have a small backyard and we are trying to make the hens a descent space since they can't free range. How many do you think I should have? How many do you have and what space do you have for them?

 

[aart]

Quote: Weelllll......while @ChickenKeep01 's worst case scenario is possible, it is not necessarily what's going to happen.

@The Noodle Farm since you only have space for 3, that is what you'll have and it may work out just fine, many folks have a few birds in small coops. But smaller spaces and flocks certainly can have their problems, pecking order and integration can be especially difficult due to the tight space.

Take it slow, be patient and observant, and take all advice with a grain of salt(or more than a grain), be ready to be flexible and creative.

 

[The Noodle Farm]

Weelllll......while @ChickenKeep01
's worst case scenario is possible, it is not necessarily what's going to happen.

@The Noodle Farm
 since you only have space for 3, that is what you'll have and it may work out just fine, many folks have a few birds in small coops. But smaller spaces and flocks certainly can have their problems, pecking order and integration can be especially difficult due to the tight space.

Take it slow, be patient and observant, and take all advice with a grain of salt(or more than a grain), be ready to be flexible and creative.

Thank you so much! I will take it slow and think happy thoughts You all are very helpful.

 

[ChickenKeep01]

I currently have three that is how I know that three doesn't work but I'm getting six more to help stop it mine have about 6-9 hours of free range every day on 2 acres which also help but if your worried about having them get out of your block just clip there wings or if they can't free range make there run larger if you want to help the problem

 

[The Noodle Farm]

Thank you so much! I will take it slow and think happy thoughts You all are very helpful.

Update...

 

[marktoo]

My original flock, 4 wyandottes, 2 gold & 2 silver, it was readily apparent the goldens were in the 1 & 2 slot but never apparent which silver occupied 3 or 4 slot. The # 2 bird was brutal, picking on 3 & 4 unmercifully. That is until she had a hard molt at 18 months! The 2 silvers moved up to 2 & 3 but I was still never sure who was who. The 2 silvers were just as brutal with their tormentor as she had been with them. The queen is pretty laid back.

I had to put a silver down late last year do to illness. The pecking order remained unchanged.

This spring I got 2 sexed austalorps who I moved out in a small coup & run next the hens,slowly allowing them to free range with the big girls. By 8 weeks I was pretty sure one click was a cockerel, 13 weeks I was sure of it. One night I put the 2 chicks in the coop with the big girls the middle of the night. Next morning he started to crow, I culled him that day.

The pullet is without a friend now & rather unhappy. The hens allow her to sleep in the coop without harassing her but that is all. While the coop is small the run is almost 300 sq. Ft & they usually have 600.

If I ever do chicks again I will get a minimum of 3 sexed birds to minimize the chance of having to try to introduce a single pullet to an existing flock.

 

[The Noodle Farm]

Weelllll......while @ChickenKeep01
's worst case scenario is possible, it is not necessarily what's going to happen.

@The Noodle Farm
 since you only have space for 3, that is what you'll have and it may work out just fine, many folks have a few birds in small coops. But smaller spaces and flocks certainly can have their problems, pecking order and integration can be especially difficult due to the tight space.

Take it slow, be patient and observant, and take all advice with a grain of salt(or more than a grain), be ready to be flexible and creative.

Update.... It was a Success!!!! Three happy chickens and one very happy chicken lady

 

[The Noodle Farm]

The run is done and all three love their new space. It took a month of look no touch but well worth it!

 

[The Noodle Farm]

 

[The Noodle Farm]

There was a bit of chest bumping a feathers fluffed but at the end it was all good