Added two standard sized game hens, and it has changed the flock structure A LOT. Now I have 5 girls and a rooster. Used to be Chipmunk was lead hen, then Pissy, and Lil'Bit low girl being the youngest, Jibbers the Roo not caring how ever it was and letting them sort it out.
Kept the new hens caged for awhile, and they slept outside on a roost under a two sided structure used for shade (fenced) and Jibbers acted like he couldn't wait for that to be over with. Chipmunk and Prissy forgot their hate for each other, and would pal around outside the cage posturing and posing and telling these new girls they're in charge.
Time came to let the big girls out, so I kicked out the little ones from the coop, put the big ones in so they could take the tour in peace. Then kicked the bantams out to free range for a bit, and opened the run up for the new ones.
Kept it like that for 3 days, so that the new ones adjusted to the coop being home and not the cage area. Then tentatively let them out to free range.
Rooster flipped a wig, he just went nuts. Wing danced complete circles around each one, followed them around diligently with only brief visits to his original girls. Any time a new hen came close to even Lil'Bit, she'd get chased off.
These new ones are 6 months old now, and Lil'Bit I think is still around 3-3 1/2 months. And she was chasing them around!
This morning though, they all went around together. I think the Bantams have realized these new girls are much better at free ranging. Rooster has been quite full of himself, barely came to visit me at all!
Prissy and Chipmunk get along great now, since they've united to keep the new ones in check. Lil'Bit, I can't tell if she's playing with them like she plays with Rooster, or if she's genuinely asserting herself. Hilarious, because she's like, 6 inches tall, and they stand over a foot. And they run from her!
Rooster has started to take some initiative to keep his hens in line. He wasn't doing that before, but now that he has so many, he seems to be taking his job more seriously. He'll interupt the spats now, instead of ignore them, which has reduced the amount of hen drama.
Kept the new hens caged for awhile, and they slept outside on a roost under a two sided structure used for shade (fenced) and Jibbers acted like he couldn't wait for that to be over with. Chipmunk and Prissy forgot their hate for each other, and would pal around outside the cage posturing and posing and telling these new girls they're in charge.
Time came to let the big girls out, so I kicked out the little ones from the coop, put the big ones in so they could take the tour in peace. Then kicked the bantams out to free range for a bit, and opened the run up for the new ones.
Kept it like that for 3 days, so that the new ones adjusted to the coop being home and not the cage area. Then tentatively let them out to free range.
Rooster flipped a wig, he just went nuts. Wing danced complete circles around each one, followed them around diligently with only brief visits to his original girls. Any time a new hen came close to even Lil'Bit, she'd get chased off.
These new ones are 6 months old now, and Lil'Bit I think is still around 3-3 1/2 months. And she was chasing them around!
This morning though, they all went around together. I think the Bantams have realized these new girls are much better at free ranging. Rooster has been quite full of himself, barely came to visit me at all!
Prissy and Chipmunk get along great now, since they've united to keep the new ones in check. Lil'Bit, I can't tell if she's playing with them like she plays with Rooster, or if she's genuinely asserting herself. Hilarious, because she's like, 6 inches tall, and they stand over a foot. And they run from her!
Rooster has started to take some initiative to keep his hens in line. He wasn't doing that before, but now that he has so many, he seems to be taking his job more seriously. He'll interupt the spats now, instead of ignore them, which has reduced the amount of hen drama.
