California - Northern

[PetRock]

Ok, I have another newbie question.....run while you can!
I added a 14 week old pullet 2 days ago.. Our top bird (wyandotte also 14 weeks) is still chasing her off and pecking at her. The problem is that I have to go out about 4 or 5 times a day to put the other birds away, and allow our new girl to eat and drink. I feel so bad for our new girl, standing in the corner alone....she is extremely docile and submissive.

I wish I had added 2 birds, instead of just one.
Am I doing the right thing? Is there anything I can do to minimize her being pecked on? I am thinking there is not much I can do.......but figured it was worth asking anyway.

You could also put out multiple feeders and waterers in different areas of your run or yard. There is no way your top bird can stake claim on more than one at a time!

I recently added two 16+ week old birds to my layer flock. One of them was the cockerel that we had to cull last weekend. When I separated the cockerel and kept him in the outdoor brooder area that the two of them had been in, the pullet went through some definite separation anxiety. For almost a week, she wouldn't go into the coop with the older girls at night. She roosted on the fence around our patio and we had to stuff her in the coop every night. Finally, three or four evenings ago, she joined the flock in the coop and on the roost. Yeah! I do have three waterers (one in the run and two in the yard), two separate feed stations (one in the coop and one in the run), several dog food bowls for fermented feed & yogurt, and scatter a cockbird whole grain mix for scratch. She is young and fast so has no problems getting away from the top hen and her enforcers. She hasn't bonded with any of the other birds but she now joins them at the feed bowls instead of hanging in the back waiting for them to leave. She is supposed to go to the laying flock at the farm but I may keep her unless I can get her to bond with some of the younger pullets that are in the grow out pen!

 

[PetRock]

Yes, chickens have great memories! I have Wyandottes and they can be aggressive to newly introduced birds, especially if the Wyandottes are hatchery birds. At least if your lone pullet has a familiar friend (from her flock or another bird in the same situation needing a buddy) they will support each other. When introducing new birds into my flock I spend some time with them, so I am there to chase off the aggressor when they go after them to give them the message that the new bird is not to be messed with. Have you ever watched the DOG WHISPERER? I point my finger at, and do the same noise (pssst) at the aggressor when they go after another chicken, walking right at them until they run in the opposite direction. It takes several time of doing this, but it works surprisingly well!

That's interesting! My top hen is a black Australorp but one of her three enforcers is a hatchery Silver Laced Wyandotte.

 

[MossyoakLane]

Yes, chickens have great memories! I have Wyandottes and they can be aggressive to newly introduced birds, especially if the Wyandottes are hatchery birds. At least if your lone pullet has a familiar friend (from her flock or another bird in the same situation needing a buddy) they will support each other. When introducing new birds into my flock I spend some time with them, so I am there to chase off the aggressor when they go after them to give them the message that the new bird is not to be messed with. Have you ever watched the DOG WHISPERER? I point my finger at, and do the same noise (pssst) at the aggressor when they go after another chicken, walking right at them until they run in the opposite direction. It takes several time of doing this, but it works surprisingly well!

Funny my hubby has been doing exactly that. He gives the Wyandotte a light tap (like a peck) and says "no"... I spent almost all day in and out of the run yesterday....LOL
She is a hatchery bird...
We can only have 6 birds inside city limits. We were hoping not to max out our coop limit quite yet (I have been drooling over marans and barnevelders and hoping to add one).....I guess we have to do what keeps the peace in the flock.
Thank you so much for your help.

 

[chicksnthestiks]

My Cochin Bantam Frizzles... <3 <3 believe it or not, they are cuter in person.. I LOVE THEM!

My gosh Miss Molly they even made my husband smile and get gushy!

 

[chicksnthestiks]

I am in Southern California but I have a lot of family in the North. To me northern Cali is above San Fran.
I have family all over ....Hydesville, Eureka, Arcata, McKinleyville then on over to Redding.
I am really a Northern Cali girl at heart

Hi and welcome to the thread!

 

[chiqita]

I am in Southern California but I have a lot of family in the North. To me northern Cali is above San Fran.
I have family all over ....Hydesville, Eureka, Arcata, McKinleyville then on over to Redding.
I am really a Northern Cali girl at heart

Nor cal is always from the heart! Welcome!
And welcome other new person I missed the quote on as well.

Ok, I have another newbie question.....run while you can!
I added a 14 week old pullet 2 days ago.. Our top bird (wyandotte also 14 weeks) is still chasing her off and pecking at her. The problem is that I have to go out about 4 or 5 times a day to put the other birds away, and allow our new girl to eat and drink. I feel so bad for our new girl, standing in the corner alone....she is extremely docile and submissive.

I wish I had added 2 birds, instead of just one.
Am I doing the right thing? Is there anything I can do to minimize her being pecked on? I am thinking there is not much I can do.......but figured it was worth asking anyway.

Funny my hubby has been doing exactly that. He gives the Wyandotte a light tap (like a peck) and says "no"... I spent almost all day in and out of the run yesterday....LOL  
She is a hatchery bird...
We can only have 6 birds inside city limits. We were hoping not to max out our coop limit quite yet (I have been drooling over marans and barnevelders and hoping to add one).....I guess we have to do what keeps the peace in the flock.
Thank you so much for your help.

OK. Let me see if we think the Barnie is a boy or girl. If it is a girl I could bring her up Friday if you can pick up in novato. There are 2 marans I guess are girls but they are more like 5 weeks. That is if you really want those breeds as your last girl. If you don't no harm, no fowl, mwahaha.

 

[chiqita]

And miss molly those chicks shine like polished metal. So pretty!!

 

[MossyoakLane]

Nor cal is always from the heart! Welcome!
And welcome other new person I missed the quote on as well.

OK. Let me see if we think the Barnie is a boy or girl. If it is a girl I could bring her up Friday if you can pick up in novato. There are 2 marans I guess are girls but they are more like 5 weeks. That is if you really want those breeds as your last girl. If you don't no harm, no fowl, mwahaha.

Really? That would be so cool. Keep me posted on his/her gender. We could pick up tomorrow in Novato, no problem. I was trying to hold out for one....LOL How would a 5 weeker work into my flock of 11-14 weekers? I do have heat at night in the coop.

 

[lizanne]

This is my top chicken. Ugly the Barred Rock - We named her ugly because the poor thing has been molting for almost a year, she has finally gotten in most of her feathers. She is about 8 months older than the rest of the hens, and she doesn't really have any friends. She can be really nasty to the rest of them, especially if they are getting attention and she isn't. If I pet, or hold one of the others she runs and attacks them as soon as I put them back down.

 

[fatcatx]

Hi all - newbie who finally found my way to this thread! Looking for people in the Elk grove/Sacramento area. We are "city-folk" in suburbia working on a new backyard flock.