At what point do you decide adding chickens wasn't the right thing?

[aoxa]

Don't worry too much......they will eventually get themselves sorted out.  I am adding hens and roosters all the time to my flock.  

I would but the bully hen in a dog crate for a few days in the run in the day, and in the coop at night.  This will give the new hens a chance to calm down and settle into their new home and get some confidence.  They will also get to see the bully close up, with no danger of being attacked.  After 3 or 4 days let the bully out - last.

They will fight again, but now the new ones will be more confident. Close the coop so the new ones can not hide in there.  They have to face the fight to establish the pecking order.  At the end of the day they should have sorted it out and there will only be little squabbles, which will get less often, over the next few days.

They really will be OK.  Just let them fight it out.....as long as not blood is seen.

I find roosters really help with adding new hens. My flock does not fall out of sorts when I add someone new anymore. Seems like the roosters have a whole other pecking order

 

[jak2002003]

Yes, maybe that is true. I have many roosters and hens together. When I add new hens there is never any problem after just a few pecks and short chases from some of the more dominant hens.

When I add new roosters they will fight with the other roosters, one at a time, and again 99 percent of the time the fight is over in a few minutes and they all know where they are.

I allow lots of space in a huge run, with lost of pots, baskets and logs, potted trees, etc, so there is always places new ones can hide to take a break if they need to.

 

[aoxa]

Yes, maybe that is true.  I have many roosters and hens together.  When I add new hens there is never any problem after just a few pecks and short chases from some of the more dominant hens.  

When I add new roosters they will fight with the other roosters, one at a time, and again 99 percent of the time the fight is over in a few minutes and they all know where they are.

I allow lots of space in a huge run, with lost of pots, baskets and logs, potted trees, etc, so there is always places new ones can hide to take a break if they need to.

That's definitely how it should be! Added a new rooster lately and the hens bugged him more than the other roosters. He is a silkie frizzle though I'm not sure my big barred rock boy knows he is even a chicken.

 

[phelpcd1]

Wish I really could add a rooster, but not allowed : (...............I guess tonight I will begin separating Thelma (bully) into the dog crate. Poor Louise is not going to know what happened as she follows Thelma around like a lost little puppy. I was reading on another thread that the americauna's seem to be the picked on breed........would never have chosen her if I had a clue!! She is my husband's favorite and he calls her "Fred" - don't ask. The other thread also had suggestions of asserting yourself as head of the flock by doing a little poking and bullying of the bully chicken yourself. That is something I will def try........if everything fails and the 2 newbies just can't be "normal" chickens, I will see if I can return them or rehome them to where they can be together without other breeds. I don't think it's fair to any of them to have constant fighting going on...I want a harmonized flock in the coop, not all this chasing and pecking all the time. At least I've learned some things..... : (

 

[aoxa]

Wish I really could add a rooster, but not allowed : (...............I guess tonight I will begin separating Thelma (bully) into the dog crate.  Poor Louise is not going to know what happened as she follows Thelma around like a lost little puppy.  I was reading on another thread that the americauna's seem to be the picked on breed........would never have chosen her if I had a clue!!  She is my husband's favorite and he calls her "Fred" - don't ask.  The other thread also had suggestions of asserting yourself as head of the flock by doing a little poking and bullying of the bully chicken yourself.  That is something I will def try........if everything fails and the 2 newbies just can't be "normal" chickens, I will see if I can return them or rehome them to where they can be together without other breeds.  I don't think it's fair to any of them to have constant fighting going on...I want a harmonized flock in the coop, not all this chasing and pecking all the time.  At least I've learned some things..... : (

I've actually read the opposite about the Easter Eggers (which is likely what she is). I have four pullets and one cockerel of the breed, and they aren't any more aggressive/passive than any other breeds. I do find Orpingtons really likely to fall prey to bullying, as well as cochins.

 

[aoxa]

I'd just tell your husband that the more hens you have, the less bullying Reason to add a few more lol. There was more fighting when I had five than when I had 11. The more I had, the less they seemed to pick on just one.

 

[phelpcd1]

Oh it isn't my husband, it's the city. Only allowed 4 here - it was 2, then I found out they changed it to 4, which is why i'm not in this predicament. The guy I got them from told me to separate the bully for a while and let the other 3 try to bond and get along, then put them together and see. I went out and let them in the yard a while and when Thelma chased Fred, I chased Thelma....freaked her out I think because I haven't done that yet. I closed the coop door, then put all 4 of them back in the run. As soon as Thelma started chasing Fred, I went in and grabbed her butt and she is now in the coop by herself. She is having a big ole fit too! I'm kinda laughing............but the other 3 are hanging in the run. This is the perfect day for some "time-out" because it's cool, overcast and mellow. Thelma will be crated alone tonight too, and I will keep asserting myself as "chief" among them and see what happens....praying it works...maybe they will all gang up on me!!!

And yes, when we move to the country, my flock will get much larger and I doubt this problem would exist!

 

[Fred's Hens]

Well, out here "in the country" and even after 50 years of doing this, integration is still sometimes flakey. I do not tolerate a bullying hen. Yes, a rooster is the sheriff and keeps peace, (if he's worth a dime). Totally different flock with a rooster around, but not everyone can have one. Not to beat a drum, but don't pull out the door mat. I yank out the bully hen. Bully hens are the absolute worst. They go to jail. It may take better part of a 8-10 days in jail for the bully to lose her place as Queen Bee, but she will. After 8 days in solitary, the bully get a reprieve and another chance. Sometimes it "takes" and sometimes it doesn't.

I give the bully another few days in the box. At some point, she'll figure it out or SHE gets "re-homed", if you will. Here's to hoping her lengthy "time out" time does her some good. Keep the faith.

 

[Mrs. K]

You don't mention your run, but putting in some roosts, a large box, even a pallet on some cement blocks, gives some different levels to the run, and birds have more to do, and can get away from each other. It works for mine. MrsK

 

[phelpcd1]

Ok i'm posting some pics of the coop/run here...........if anyone has an idea of how I can create hiding spaces, please share!! I isolated Thelma yesterday and that created a 2nd problem - the 2 newbies shunned and pecked at Louise! Louise would prob be on the very bottom of the "order" because she has never pecked any of them. I put the 2 newbies into the crate over night so there would be total peace, and that does seem to work good. They seem comfortable and relaxed, and the original 2 go to their corner and hunker down. I saw Thelma/Louise go into the coop this morning (where the other 2 seem to stay) and they were eating the food in there - Fred was sitting with her head behind the crate, but Thelma wasn't pecking her at least.....it's almost as if they want to eat all the food up before the newbies can have any. Sigh.........this is just not what I expected or was hoping. Again, share any ideas for creating good hiding spots for poor Fred - she is fairly small so I can make her spots that Thelma can't get into with her.






This is poor little Fred (the crate was moved but she can hide behind it)



And this is Lucy inside the coop....the coop is 6x4 and the run is 6x10.