Another chicken behavior Newbie question LOL

[lonelychicken]

I am rebuilding my small flock - preditors took 5 of my 6 hens - so I had a lone partridge cochin 3 month old hen. Last sunday 7/22 I purchased 4 new hens (2 cochins, 1 buff orpington cross and 1 BC Maran cross) All very docile healthy hens - obviously been handled a bit.

I made a separate area in the hen house for the single hen and let the 4 hens be free in the hen house - there is just one wire wall between them. while in the hen house at least one or several at a time "choose" to nest down in the shavings and lay beside her in her pen as opposed to roosting - in fact have not seen these girls roost at all (they were free range girls when I bought them)

Outside I made a pen for the single hen, inside the bigger chicken yard. All is going great - I don't seen and fluffly necks - wing flapping, pecking or charging the original hen - in fact today all 4 girls were nested down in the grass laying right by the wire wall next to where the single hen was laying in her pen.

I think this is great - here is my question - with this behavior, even though its only been 3 1/2 days - do you think I could let them be all together? or are they being 2 faced little hens and act all sweet with them being separate and will jump her as soon as I set her down with the others? Oh and my singleton really would rather be out with the other girls.

So with this behavior from the new girls - do you think I could try having them be all together?

Sorry Old timers I know you must get tired of us newbies asking such silly questions -but I did try and do a search first (excellent search function by the way and it has provided many answers)

 

[gryeyes]

I'd go at least a week, if not two. (Most folks actually quarantine new birds away from the rest of the flock for at least a month, but I've not done that .... someday, if I do it again, I may be sorry.)

But the "integration/segregation" process provides "get to know you" time without risking ANY injury to your solo gal. They won't be strangers to each other when you finally let them mingle and live together. "Stranger danger" is the usual culprit when introducing multiple birds to a single bird.

And when the pecking order behavior starts, DO NOT INTERRUPT IT UNLESS THERE IS BLOOD spilled. Let them work it out, even if there is feather pulling and pecking (without drawing blood). The more you mess with the establishment of pecking order, the longer you delay process. I know, it's tough...

Good luck!

 

[lonelychicken]

Thank YOU!!

I can see that what you suggest is the best thing - to be the safest for everyone. I've had horses and ponies for 40+ years too so I do understand about "pecking order" lol and will do as you suggest.

I sit and watch them quite a lot during the day -its amazing how they each are different - the oldest blue cochin, Ella is definitely the leader or boss hen - but not physically yet, and hopefully never - all she has to do is stand tall flap her wings and the 2 youngest settle right down and say YES MA'AM lol

The most curious hen is the buff orpington and from the first day she has wanted to be near the singlton.

Thank you again for your sage advice - this is an awesome forum for us newbies!

Gail

 

[lonelychicken]

OK my 2 week get to know you and be familiar period is over tomorrow - all has gone well. my original hen really gets upset when the 4 new girls get out of sight and the new girls have made a dust bath right beside her pen. AT nite the 4 choose to roost or nest next to her and she roosts next to them

so here is my question, is it better to introduce the original single hen in the morning when I put everone out in their run? or should I just slip her in the hen house with the 4 new hens at nite when its time for everyone to roost?

My guess would be to do the introduction in the am so there is more room for them to get away from each other.

Your thoughts are appreciated - thanks

Gail

 

[Jubilee1111]

I like to let the introduced chicken out in the morning a few minutes later than the rest. She will join up with the other girls and go to bed with them at night. Expect the occasional peck and stare down but by now I think the girls like and accept each other.

Good luck

 

[lonelychicken]

I thought I would update how this morning went putting my "lonely chicken" Beyonce with the 4 new girls

I put Beyonce out first as I would usually put her in her outside pen first, and then went back in the hen house to let the other 4 hens out into the yard -

Well that beyonce beat me to the hen house and went right on in and introduced herself hahaha

there was no squaking, no standing tall, no puffed up neck feathers and no wing flapping, no pecking and all in all - it was very anti-climatic lol for which I was very glad

Being a "mother hen' I did stay out there and watch them for about an hour - they are all hanging together and seem to be accepting of each other so far.

Now Beyonce, the original chicken she did start to do the following, which I think is a "dominance" display.... she would raise her foot and rake it through the hind feathers and then peck or preen ... pull her beak through one of the feathers on one of the new birds - not really mounting - the new birds each reacted by just moving away - again no squaking, no chasing. Is this the original hen just establishing she is the boss? or is this some sort of grooming behavior? do chickens groom each other like other animals in a herd/pack will do?

I think this is a great start with the integration of old and new hens - in your experience does the trouble ususally start right away - or can they decide at any point to have a fight over territory or boss hen position?

I have a 12 x 20 chicken yard for the 5 girls with lots of grass and tomatoes growing on the fence on one of the 12' ends so there is plenty of room for them to be as close or far away as they like.

I hope the integrations continues to go well, I want to thank everyone for their advice - its been very helpful and comforting to get guidance from experienced chicken keepers

 

[marianne7]

I thought I would update how this morning went putting my "lonely chicken" Beyonce with the 4 new girls

I put Beyonce out first as I would usually put her in her outside pen first, and then went back in the hen house to let the other 4 hens out into the yard -

Well that beyonce beat me to the hen house and went right on in and introduced herself hahaha

there was no squaking, no standing tall, no puffed up neck feathers and no wing flapping, no pecking and all in all - it was very anti-climatic lol for which I was very glad

Being a "mother hen' I did stay out there and watch them for about an hour - they are all hanging together and seem to be accepting of each other so far.

Now Beyonce, the original chicken she did start to do the following, which I think is a "dominance" display.... she would raise her foot and rake it through the hind feathers and then peck or preen ... pull her beak through one of the feathers on one of the new birds - not really mounting - the new birds each reacted by just moving away - again no squaking, no chasing. Is this the original hen just establishing she is the boss? or is this some sort of grooming behavior? do chickens groom each other like other animals in a herd/pack will do?

I think this is a great start with the integration of old and new hens - in your experience does the trouble ususally start right away - or can they decide at any point to have a fight over territory or boss hen position?

I have a 12 x 20 chicken yard for the 5 girls with lots of grass and tomatoes growing on the fence on one of the 12' ends so there is plenty of room for them to be as close or far away as they like.

I hope the integrations continues to go well, I want to thank everyone for their advice - its been very helpful and comforting to get guidance from experienced chicken keepers

Congratulations on your amazing intergration....ours was a nigtmare.....but great, looks like your lonesome chuck was 'top chicken' thats why the integration went well...usually when you do integrate them, put the newbies in at night, this allows the smell to be the same on all the chucks a lot quicker, you may still have to seperate them in the day, but there is usually not much pecking going on through the night..