Australia - Six states..and that funny little island.

[IamSamSam]

Cut them in half only and see if they will eat them. If they don't then I would give them more ? Not sure if you can or can't but that's what I'd do. Main rule of thumb is if u can eat it they can

 

[Teila]

Telia. This is the fine print nobody tells you about when hatching chicks lol

You know this reintegration thing would be much easier if penny didn't make an effort to keep pepper as far away from the other two as possible sigh

On a positive for those fleeting seconds they do come together one ignores them and the other just gives a couple hey remember you are below me pecks. Nothing they didn't before pepper.

Yep, I should have read the fine print!

Right now, everyone is locked away in their separate corners because if I do not have a break from their attitudes they will all be going on Gumtree and I will be buying someone's hatch, 5 gals all the same age!

So we tried again today .... Wasn't going too bad, I was body guarding Blondie; Dusty was giving her dirty looks. I have actually lost track of who attacked who and who started what but I do remember that Blondie attacked LuLu, Cilla attacked Tina and LuLu starting chasing Spot and Gloria around! That was when I cracked the proverbials and locked them away. Now, they are all peeved because this time of the afternoon they should be out free ranging.

So I do some MORE research .....
1. Make sure they are separated but can see each other through wire. Check; been that way for weeks.
2. Give them lots of room on integration. Check; the whole back garden.

One suggestion was, just let them fight it out. I'm thinking that might be a plan but I am not talking pecking here, I am talking jumping on each other's back and pulling out feathers!

I have considered buying a water pistol to break up the fights but then some research advised against breaking up the fights so that they can re-establish the pecking order.

What does everyone think? Right now I am open to suggestions!

I do know one thing ... never again! IF I ever get everyone integrated back in, I don't care how desperate they are to become a mum .. forget it!!!

 

[IamSamSam]

Teila

Too funny. But only because it's not me.

I only let the one hatch and she is now -12mths later - pecking " gently the two chick still in the flock to leave her be. She has effectively been mumma all this time. I had to segregate her from the baby's so she would lay at 6 mths and that stopped all and any hen hatches. Now it's bator only.

When initially I introduce my lorps it took 4-6 mths of free ranging together but seperate pens for them to work it out.

Good luck with it all

Love reading your posts

 

[Anniebee]

Yep, I should have read the fine print!

Right now, everyone is locked away in their separate corners because if I do not have a break from their attitudes they will all be going on Gumtree and I will be buying someone's hatch, 5 gals all the same age!

So we tried again today .... Wasn't going too bad, I was body guarding Blondie; Dusty was giving her dirty looks. I have actually lost track of who attacked who and who started what but I do remember that Blondie attacked LuLu, Cilla attacked Tina and LuLu starting chasing Spot and Gloria around! That was when I cracked the proverbials and locked them away. Now, they are all peeved because this time of the afternoon they should be out free ranging.

So I do some MORE research .....
1. Make sure they are separated but can see each other through wire. Check; been that way for weeks.
2. Give them lots of room on integration. Check; the whole back garden.

One suggestion was, just let them fight it out. I'm thinking that might be a plan but I am not talking pecking here, I am talking jumping on each other's back and pulling out feathers!

I have considered buying a water pistol to break up the fights but then some research advised against breaking up the fights so that they can re-establish the pecking order.

What does everyone think? Right now I am open to suggestions!

I do know one thing ... never again! IF I ever get everyone integrated back in, I don't care how desperate they are to become a mum .. forget it!!!

I have read both of your frustration ridden posts ( no offence intended ) ...... about looking out for Blondie, separating the chooks - nothing seems to work at times ?? All love a punch-up ?

I only have 3 chickens. So what do I know ? This - that my two big hens ( Welsummer and RIR ) would literally murder my smaller Araucana in a heartbeat. They absolutely HATE her. But - she keeps trying to integrate when she is free ranging by herself ( through strong wire fencing ) and they even try to get at her then. Poor wee soul - she gets to free range in a safe patch, but that also stresses her at times, and her playmates are Ruby ( our dog ) ... the bluddy rats, and the birds she welcomes to share her scratch mix with. However, she does not tolerate miners. !!

Weird thing is - just before dusk and bedtime, they all gather for a daily conference at the double wire separation between Mindy and the two big girls. Mellowing no doubt - dumbing down for the night sleep !!

I do believe there is really only one solution for your problem ...... that is to separate most of them out on a permanent basis. Into their own runs and little coops. Observe who is happy with who - and do it that way. A lot of hard work I know, but better than you spending your day fretting over who is going to kill who in the back garden, and standing guard. Blondie may need a playmate, so perhaps you could get a chicken of the exact same breed and age that she is ? They tend to take to their own breeds better, or so I have heard. Introduce the new chicken on a 'temporary experimental ' basis ( if that is at all possible - depending on where you get her from ) ....... and if she is happy with her new chum - let the rest of them organise their own pecking routine in free ranging. Sounds like the others are fairly good at standing up for themselves.

Mind you - they are not by any means stupid. They learn quickly, and will use quite a bit of manipulation on their owner / mistress. They can be cunning - turn on a performance just to be taken notice of ---- by you.

You mentioned ' how desperate they are to become a mum' .......... I am thinking you might mean you have a rooster ? If that is so, that could be the main problem. Baeitches in the chook run - looking for all the male favours. Other than that - broodiness ? Or one chook might be behaving like a rooster ? ........ I have learned, that can happen.

Have you got enough nesting areas ......... I mean like at least a dozen or more. Doesn't have to be a nesting box ( mine NEVER use nesting boxes ) ........ just piles of lovely straw and wood chips in various spots in the coops ? That miight solve a problem or two. They tend to want to use the ONE nesting box - often at the same time. Fascinating to watch.
Chooks ....... who'd have them ? Us - the chicken nuts of course.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do ..... but heck - you would miss them mightily if you sold them. Keep trying - you will find a way to sort the problems one day soon.

 

[Ashburnham]

That fig tree does look lovely Sam. I've never tried fresh figs, but my mother raves about them. I wanted to ask those who have apple trees and chooks, are the unripe apples ok to throw in the chook run? My apple tree finally had a lot of apples this year and has just dropped a heap of them. I think the heat got to it because it they are supposed to do the apple drop when the apples are much smaller.

Most of my runs have apple trees in them - chooks have been eating them for years without the slightest problem.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Apple seeds contain cyanide but in small amounts aren't thought to cause too much trouble. I stomp on mine to soften them. My daughter choked my sussex roo by feeding him pieces of apple.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Yep, I should have read the fine print!

Right now, everyone is locked away in their separate corners because if I do not have a break from their attitudes they will all be going on Gumtree and I will be buying someone's hatch, 5 gals all the same age!

So we tried again today .... Wasn't going too bad, I was body guarding Blondie; Dusty was giving her dirty looks.  I have actually lost track of who attacked who and who started what but I do remember that Blondie attacked LuLu, Cilla attacked Tina and LuLu starting chasing Spot and Gloria around!  That was when I cracked the proverbials and locked them away.  Now, they are all peeved because this time of the afternoon they should be out free ranging.

So I do some MORE research .....
1. Make sure they are separated but can see each other through wire.  Check; been that way for weeks.
2. Give them lots of room on integration.  Check; the whole back garden.

One suggestion was, just let them fight it out.  I'm thinking that might be a plan but I am not talking pecking here, I am talking jumping on each other's back and pulling out feathers!

I have considered buying a water pistol to break up the fights but then some research advised against breaking up the fights so that they can re-establish the pecking order.

What does everyone think?  Right now I am open to suggestions!

I do know one thing ... never again!  IF I ever get everyone integrated back in, I don't care how desperate they are to become a mum .. forget it!!!

I don't know if you have tried this, take the alpha hen away and let everyone else mingle. In a couple of weeks reintroduce ' bossy boots ' . Theory is she will have to climb back up the social order.

 

[Teila]

Good morning folks

Sam yep, these chickenalities are funny and if/when I sort this mess out, I will probably look back and have a chuckle also.

Anniebee and Fancy thank you both so very much for the advice.

Anniebee No rooster; my “desperate to become a mum” was in reference to three of five adults being broody at the same time.

I have considered that I may need to keep them separated permanently but before Blondie’s separation with her eggs, these gals were all in one happy flock so they did all get along at some stage.

Yep, definitely enough nest boxes; my gals have always used the nest boxes and fret if they cannot get to them, they would not nest anywhere else. Lots of places for everyone to have some quiet time also, lots of hidey holes and opportunities to split away.

My threat to get rid of them was just that, a threat. I couldn’t do it; while I am a little peeved at their current antics, I love them to bits!

Fancy Cilla is the alpha hen and when she was separated with her hatch for 6 weeks or so (Blondie being the result) she slotted straight back into the alpha hen role on reintegration; no fights, no pecking, just straight back to the way it was. I guess that is why I am a little overwhelmed at the moment; Tina & Blondie are my first hatches that were not from the alpha hen. I never imagined their reintegration would be this bad; I thought some pecks etc but nothing like this. Cilla has also been semi out of the picture for a couple of weeks now while she was being broken from being broody.

I think I just pushed the pecking order totally out of whack with having two hatches, Blondie & Tina at the same time, along with Cilla being broody .. the whole hierarchical structure is probably pretty messed up right now.

Today is a new day and I think I was feeling a little overwhelmed and tired yesterday. I will go out there again today with a new perspective and try again.

Wish me luck!

 

[smhoekzema]

That just sounds crazy Teila! I had enough dramas integrating 2 in and everyone else was getting along! Can't imagine it:/

It is meant to get above 40 degrees here today. I am so worried about the girls. My Sussex doesn't cope well at all with it and the feizzle isn't far behind. I have put out a frozen 2L bottle in the covered run for each of them as well as lunchbox ice bricks in the nest boxes and ice in the waterers. The bedding has been wet down and everyone is looking good at the moment. Anything else I should do??

 

[cwrite]

Good luck Teila! I'm quite thankful that Snowy can run so fast & that my fat austrolorp is too lazy to put much effort into chasing her. That sounds really stressful.
I think I'm winning on breaking Hedwig. It's been a month & she is starting to spend more time off the nest and roosts if I remove the nest box.

I'm also wondering how long before the babies stop cheeping for mum constantly? Will they do this at their new homes?