- Mar 10, 2011
- 6
- 0
- 62
We started w/ 3 hens, 1 RIR, 1 RIR-Americauna cross, & 1 pure Americauna, who died within the first few months, we don't know why. The other 2 have been great layers & we've had no serious problems, but the pure RIR has always been a bully, even with only 2 of them she picked on the other one all the time. Eventually the crossbreed got sick of it and started fighting back, and things normalized after about a year.
We just added two more, a Black Australorp and a Barred Rock. We've had them about 10 days, did the introduction with an adjoining run/roost for the first week and letting them free range together.
I'm really worried about Doris, the Barred Rock, whose personality is more like a cat than a hen. She seems to crave being with people - as soon as I go out there she comes over and weaves around my ankles, begging to be picked up. This is adorable but is so different than the other birds that she seems really vulnerable amongst the RIR meanies. The Australorp is feisty and can run like the dickens so she gets away, but the 2 RIRs pick on Doris mercilessly. She tries to get away but they double-team her and often get her cornered in the run. Her feathers are all over the yard from being pecked at. I've watched them pretty closely and she is getting to eat and drink when the others are foraging elsewhere, but they will not let her into the roost at night under any circumstances. The last 2 nights we've been putting the new ones in the roost after the 2 RIRs are asleep, and now in the mornings the RIRs wake me up crowing like crazy, in unison, which they never used to do, ****** off at finding these newcomers in the roost maybe.
Anyway, my main concern is for Doris. She is such as sweetie but perhaps too timid & docile for this flock. We're worried she may be so stressed out all the time that it will eventually make her sick.
Thoughts?
We just added two more, a Black Australorp and a Barred Rock. We've had them about 10 days, did the introduction with an adjoining run/roost for the first week and letting them free range together.
I'm really worried about Doris, the Barred Rock, whose personality is more like a cat than a hen. She seems to crave being with people - as soon as I go out there she comes over and weaves around my ankles, begging to be picked up. This is adorable but is so different than the other birds that she seems really vulnerable amongst the RIR meanies. The Australorp is feisty and can run like the dickens so she gets away, but the 2 RIRs pick on Doris mercilessly. She tries to get away but they double-team her and often get her cornered in the run. Her feathers are all over the yard from being pecked at. I've watched them pretty closely and she is getting to eat and drink when the others are foraging elsewhere, but they will not let her into the roost at night under any circumstances. The last 2 nights we've been putting the new ones in the roost after the 2 RIRs are asleep, and now in the mornings the RIRs wake me up crowing like crazy, in unison, which they never used to do, ****** off at finding these newcomers in the roost maybe.
Anyway, my main concern is for Doris. She is such as sweetie but perhaps too timid & docile for this flock. We're worried she may be so stressed out all the time that it will eventually make her sick.
Thoughts?
