All my girls are getting along, Finally!!!!!

[chickentender8]

After a few weeks my hens are all getting along. I did not know if they were ever going to start co-existing or pick each other to death! But my australorps finally decided to be semi-nice to the new amerucanas. My rhode island reds and amerucanas are laying eggs daily, and hopefully soon the australorps and my white chicken (not really sure what she is) will start laying. I am very happy that I don't have to referee the girls anymore! That was very stressful!

 

[Happy Chooks]

Yay! Congrats on the peacefulness. It gets easier every time you integrate BTW.

 

[chickentender8]

Thanks!!! Never raised chickens before, so I am learning as I go!! I do love them though, they all have such different personalites.

 

[williamsmi08]

After reading your blog I noticed that you successfully solved a pecking problem between your chickens. I have 5 chickens, 3 Rhodes island reds, 1 black star, and 1 white leghorn. Recently the Rhode island reds have been pecking at the white leghorn. The white leghorn is much smaller than the reds and doesn't stand a chance. I tried to spread vinegar on the pecking spots on the white leghorn but that only works for so long. The pecking spots are located on the back of her neck. One of my problems is the size of my coop area. The area is only 10' long x 6' wide. I would like to avoid seperating the white leghorn from the others if possible. What were some of the techniques that you used to solve your pecking problem?

 

[chickentender8]

All I really did was spend alot of time out in the pen with my girls, trying to referee some! They still peck each other, but it is not as bad as it was. I am by no means an expert on chickens, we just started our flock in April, but from what I have read if your little leghorn is being pecked too badly, and she has a sore spot that has bled, then you may need to seperate her from the other chickens, because they will peck her sore spot and make her bleed more and I think they can actually kill her. But, like I said I am not an expert on chickens. My husband said to try seperating the leghorn from the others by doing a two foot by four foot area for her for a little while until she heals up.
Use chicken wire so the other chickens can see her and she can see them, she won't like being confined in such a small area, but at least she will heal and maybe the other chickens will get used to her. You just have to spend as much time with them as you can while they are acting bad, that is what I did. I hope your girls start getting along soon, it is very stressful when they are acting like that.
Sorry I couldn't give you any better advice.

 

[chickentender8]

Oh, we also put in some dead logs and some limbs to seperate the pen area some and to give the picked on chickens something to hide behind. We put an old dog kennel in also and they were able to hide behind it, I put food and water behind it because they were afraid to go to the main food and water area of the pen. That seemed to help some.