Buff Orpingtons

[Salve&Fluffer]

I think that at first,you should only let them be together when you can watch them. After about a week of them not fighting,you can try letting them be together for a short period of time without you watching them. If they do not fight,slowly increase the time that they are together without anyone wathing them until they are reliable by themselves.

 

[Mom2Cool]

This is what I'm thinking & I'd thought to do this while having them free range so they're not just "closed in" with her. It's incredible how inside at night she is like hardly noticing them & just "sitting there indifferent" but boy outside that enclouse or IN it and her eyes like zero in on them & she tear asses after them!

 

[Salve&Fluffer]

That's strange.

 

[Mom2Cool]

Salve&Fluffer :

That's strange.

yes I thought so too. I don't know if she's just trying to assert herself or what. They'd had some free range time together yesterday and at least she seemed to occupy herself with thoughts other than going after the Orpingtons. LOL She actually ate & explored the enclosed area with thema round her. She did set them straight as to who was top girl but then went about her own business. I don't mind saying it was reassuring to see. I think I'll spend some time outside this afteroon & give them a little more time out free ranging again & see if that starts to get them to all settle in together.​

 

[Salve&Fluffer]

It's really good that she is not chasing them

 

[Mom2Cool]

Salve&Fluffer :

It's really good that she is not chasing them

Well I'm hoping that's a good sign. She will chase them some times but the first time I allowed them to just free range together it was like chasing them was her job & she didn't do anything BUT chase them. Now it's more like she'll be going about her buisiness & then every once in a while she's reminding them "you don't want to screw with me". It was kind of cute yesterday & the day before when the Roo thought to try to assert himself & started coming at her. He turned tail and *ran right quick* when she came back at him.... Of course I'm right there during all of this.

I think I'll give them a bit more time today to free range together. Yesterday I was fixing their feed dishes while the door was open to their enclosed area. It was getting a bit dark already & The Austrolorp is very eager at dark to get inside & she settles right in & that is where she is until morning. I've seen that in the baby cam monitor. anyway yesterday she was in the encloseure area where the small door is & she looked to be trying to go in where the Orpingtons go in. She's been getting in on the other side for some time & it was almost like she wanted to be mixed in with them. It's occured to me to open up the divider at the start of the night & see how they're all getting on using the baby cam & then if it's an issue go out & just adjust the divider & if not then allow them in together. I just have this fear of them seeming to get along & then me waking up in the AM to someone bloodied or dead ya know?

She seems pretty calm when she's actually in her coop though.​

 

[Mom2Cool]

Technically if the Orpingtons can reach the top of the divider to perch there she can too & so divider or no she can reach them. If she was going to let them have it wouldn't she just do so or would it just be when they're making the rukus they do & it bothers her? LOL

 

[Salve&Fluffer]

I think that if she does want to attack them, she just respects the boundary line. I hope that why she does not attack them is because she is starting to accept them.

 

[Lee]

About half of my flock are Buff Orps. I first got 2 older hens and a rooster. The hens were so laid back and well, lazy that I was curious about chicks, so I was able to find some locally. I got 18 and then one hen hatched out a couple of chicks. Shoot, the chicks, now 16+ weeks old are curious, lively and fun to watch. Since I've had my older hens they have perked up and I'm thinking they didn't have a good life where they were and it took them awhile to adjust and maybe recover.

 

[Salve&Fluffer]

I thought that americanas and EEs were the same breed?.