Australorps breed Thread

[SilverWolff]

Don't post a lot but I need some help with one of my hens. I let her go broody and raise a clutch of babies and when she decided she had enough of the babies I removed her and added her back to the flock, BAD idea. My problem is she now submits to EVERYONE she squats and when they attack her she runs and screams. Other times she will just run and scream which just causes the rest of the flock near her to attack her. She USED to be very high in the pecking order until I let her go broody. Now she refuses to stand up for herself and will run screaming from everyone. I've tried putting her in with the other broody hen I had and she picked on her and beat her up pretty bad. So I took that hen out (who btw went back into the flock easily and she was one of 2 lowest hens) and tried putting in another one with her. She doesn't pick on this one but she tried to crawl (like a baby would) under her when the other hen ignores her. Which then gets her head pecked at and she is now completely bald from the others pecking at her head. So any clues on what I can do to get her back into the flock?? This has been going on for almost a month and no matter what I do (even at free range time she runs and hides from the flock) she is just not integrating back into the flock and I am at a dead loss as to what to do. So any suggestions? ​

 

[ronott1]

Don't post a lot but I need some help with one of my hens. I let her go broody and raise a clutch of babies and when she decided she had enough of the babies I removed her and added her back to the flock, BAD idea. My problem is she now submits to EVERYONE she squats and when they attack her she runs and screams. Other times she will just run and scream which just causes the rest of the flock near her to attack her. She USED to be very high in the pecking order until I let her go broody. Now she refuses to stand up for herself and will run screaming from everyone. I've tried putting her in with the other broody hen I had and she picked on her and beat her up pretty bad. So I took that hen out (who btw went back into the flock easily and she was one of 2 lowest hens) and tried putting in another one with her. She doesn't pick on this one but she tried to crawl (like a baby would) under her when the other hen ignores her. Which then gets her head pecked at and she is now completely bald from the others pecking at her head. So any clues on what I can do to get her back into the flock?? This has been going on for almost a month and no matter what I do (even at free range time she runs and hides from the flock) she is just not integrating back into the flock and I am at a dead loss as to what to do. So any suggestions? ​

Have you tried setting up a pen and putting her in with a couple of other hens from the flock? Keep them together for a week or so to form a flock then put them back, at night--after dark.

It is possible that the former broody is not back to normal hormones.

 

[cracrzy4chicks]

Don't post a lot but I need some help with one of my hens. I let her go broody and raise a clutch of babies and when she decided she had enough of the babies I removed her and added her back to the flock, BAD idea. My problem is she now submits to EVERYONE she squats and when they attack her she runs and screams. Other times she will just run and scream which just causes the rest of the flock near her to attack her. She USED to be very high in the pecking order until I let her go broody. Now she refuses to stand up for herself and will run screaming from everyone. I've tried putting her in with the other broody hen I had and she picked on her and beat her up pretty bad. So I took that hen out (who btw went back into the flock easily and she was one of 2 lowest hens) and tried putting in another one with her. She doesn't pick on this one but she tried to crawl (like a baby would) under her when the other hen ignores her. Which then gets her head pecked at and she is now completely bald from the others pecking at her head. So any clues on what I can do to get her back into the flock?? This has been going on for almost a month and no matter what I do (even at free range time she runs and hides from the flock) she is just not integrating back into the flock and I am at a dead loss as to what to do. So any suggestions? ​

I would try ronott's idea. But, possibly for future broody hatching : I leave the broodies in the coop. I put them in a 2'x2'x4' wire rabbit pen. They aren't taken out of the flock. When the chicks hatch and momma has shown them the food and water. I open the door on the broody cage, AFTER the rest of the flock has gone outside. Momma takes the chicks out to explore, and as a general rule has them safely back in her nest before the others come back in. When momma thinks they are big enough she will bring them out when the others are still in the coop. This has worked for me for several years when I use broodies. No problems getting the momma back into the flock and no problem integrating the chicks. I probably have been lucky because I usually have broodies that are good mommas.

 

[appps]

Anyone had success training a particularly dim chicken to use the nesting box? One of the Aussies who has been laying a couple months now just drops the eggs wherever she happens to be at the time. It was annoying but we put a concrete slab in last weekend and the other day I found a half eaten egg on it. I don't want to end up with egg eaters because she breaks them when they drop.

Nesting box is nice and dark, has plastic egg in there. Any other ideas?

 

[ronott1]

Anyone had success training a particularly dim chicken to use the nesting box? One of the Aussies who has been laying a couple months now just drops the eggs wherever she happens to be at the time. It was annoying but we put a concrete slab in last weekend and the other day I found a half eaten egg on it. I don't want to end up with egg eaters because she breaks them when they drop.

Nesting box is nice and dark, has plastic egg in there. Any other ideas?

Get another nest box. The others may not let her into the one or for some reason she does not like it.

 

[appps]

Get another nest box. The others may not let her into the one or for some reason she does not like it.

Ugh. Easier said than done in our coop design. I've got room in one corner near the door for something I guess but then we have to go into the house to collect the eggs which I'd rather not go back to. (4 foot ceiling)

Nobody else is laying at the moment so must be the not liking it. Can it be too dark in a nesting box I wonder? It's almost pitch black in there on an overcast day. Maybe if I let some light in by cracking the lid a bit. Hmmmm

 

[mamatink7]

Try the push button lights,they need more light.
Place some chicken grass in there (it's for laying purposes, provides a welcoming relaxing feeling..looks like poporii)

 

[Gramma Chick]

Quote: I agree try more light ...is the cement floor in the coop? if not ...dont let them out till they have laid

 

[SilverWolff]

Have you tried setting up a pen and putting her in with a couple of other hens from the flock? Keep them together for a week or so to form a flock then put them back, at night--after dark.

It is possible that the former broody is not back to normal hormones.

Yup tried her with another hen that was broody and she started beating her up, tried a different hen and she ran and screamed the entire time then started slamming herself into the pen walls.

I would try ronott's idea. But, possibly for future broody hatching : I leave the broodies in the coop. I put them in a 2'x2'x4' wire rabbit pen. They aren't taken out of the flock. When the chicks hatch and momma has shown them the food and water. I open the door on the broody cage, AFTER the rest of the flock has gone outside. Momma takes the chicks out to explore, and as a general rule has them safely back in her nest before the others come back in. When momma thinks they are big enough she will bring them out when the others are still in the coop. This has worked for me for several years when I use broodies. No problems getting the momma back into the flock and no problem integrating the chicks. I probably have been lucky because I usually have broodies that are good mommas.

I had her in a lower area inside the coop just blocked off, they could all see her and the babies the whole time. This was my first time hatching out babies and didn't know they would be ok with the others I figured they might pick on try to kill her babies. I did get the other broody hen integrated back into the flock with ease but this one just will not stand up for herself against the others. She submits ALL the time or like I said runs screaming which causes them to pick on her even more. Sometimes they just want to eat what she is eating so they walk over to her and she runs screaming her head off when they get withing a foot or two of her.

 

[Gramma Chick]

Sometimes they just want to eat what she is eating so they walk over to her and she runs screaming her head off when they get withing a foot or two of her.

she really sounds like she is still broody ...maybe her hormones are stuck ..
How long has she been broody ? My broodys are broody for a couple of months .
if she is the lowest on the pecking order ...being broody normally wont change that .
I do notice that the sweet chickens are sometimes picked on because they are timid..