Can I add one more hen?

[nancy1zak]

I have 8 hens. 3 BO, 2 RIR, 2 Bantam Cohins, and 1 EE. Our EE is at the bottom of the pecking order. She gets her feathers pecked. We converted our rabbit hutch into a coop, plus added a run on and enclosed underneath the hutch. It is located next to the big coop and run. This new mini coop + run is only temperary until our EE's feathers grow back. We feel that since she is the only one of her kind that is the reason she is getting picked on. Although, her behavior is really annoying...so that could be causing the others to pick on her. If we were go get another EE and put in in the temporary coop/run with our EE...do you think they would bond and then our lone EE would have a friend and the other's would not gang up on her? We don't really like our EE's behavior. She runs away and is difficult to catch. She also makes an icky noise all the time. I have read that other folks say their EE's are friendly and nice, and maybe our EE is acting skittish because she gets bullied. So...what do you all think about adding one hen to our EE in the temporary coop for probably about a month. We would then introduce them back into the flock? Too risky? A good idea? I don't want two skittish hens.

 

[brendapa]

There is a lot of truth in the saying "Birds of a feather flock together" .

I would get another EE to keep her company. They may then both be accepted into the flock without picking.

Good luck!

Brenda

 

[nancy1zak]

I just don't want to end up with two crazy EE's. I was hoping maybe our one EE would settle down if she had a friend.

 

[Lollipop]

Quote:
Absolutely not! Chickens do not get along with strangers. In their eyes, they are all the same "kind", birds of a feather, so to speak. The idea that she will bond with a strange bird because it`s her breed is nonsense. It`s perfectly normal for certain individuals to be shunned and picked on by the flock. IMO, get rid of the bird. Sounds like you don`t like her any more than they do. Not trying to be cruel, just practical........Pop

 

[DaughterOfEve]

I spent about 4 months my first year of chickendom, messing around with pecking orders, picking, mean behaviors, and came to the conclusion that I was just prolonging the agony of the one, ones I THOUGHT I was helping. It was about a month after I stopped interferring that everything all worked itself out and I finally had peace in the chicken yard. Here is my newest saying I will share. If you mess with nature, you will have a mess.

I suggest you either put her in, or take her out permanently (new home, freezer camp, separate pen).

 

[chicmom]

I can't believe you don't like your EE! I've got three, and each one has it's own little personality. Shirley is the queen--she's very very friendly and a little piggy. Laverne is a bit more reserved, and then Farrah is the shy one. They're all beautiful.

What's the icky noise you're hearing? Not sure if I ever heard a chicken make an icky noise......could she have some sort of respiratory thing going on?

Anyhow, it might be nice to give her a friend of the same breed, OR you could give her to someone who thinks she's adoreable......poor dear!

Hope you make her happy soon!

 

[Mrs. K]

I agree with Pop.

 

[patandchickens]

I wouldn't.

Reason being, it seems to upset you when the chickens don't get along. And BOY is adding one lone new hen going to cause extra not-getting-along. You're likely to be trading one problem for *two*.

If you don't like the EE, what if you just try to rehome her, or make chicken and dumplings?

JMHO, good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[columbiacritter]

My EE's are always at the bottom fo the pecking order. Even if there's more than one, they all get pounded on. I just try to give them enough room to stay out of the other chickens way.

 

[nancy1zak]

It seems like maybe adding a new chicken to bond with my EE while her feathers are growing back might be more of a risk then I am willing to take. Thx for all your input. I will leave her in her little coop safe from the pickers until her feathers are back. They can see her and she can see them and we let them free range in the evening together while we are out there so I am hoping when I do put her back in the big coop it won't be too stressful.