Can't they all just get along??

[chickonaroost]

I have recently expanded my flock of 4hens and 1roo, to include 5 more chicks. I had them in the same coop, separated by a metal wire wall for 6 wks. I gradually socialised them, letting them roost together at night while calm. The chicks have grown, are feathered out and I thought ready for merging. I have 1 older hen (recently rescued from my sisters coon ravaged coop) who chases, pecks and heckles the chicks. She won't even let them near the feeder or water, or onto the roost at night, unless I'm in the coop too. When I let them out during the day to trim my lawn, they stay in separate flocks. It has been 2 weeks of togetherness in the coop and still no getting along!
Since I don't want to live in the coop

any suggestions??

 

[Jezebelle]

establishing a pecking order, i know it can take along time for it to get set in place with some chickens. Even then sometimes the older ones can get very mean.

 

[silkiechicken]

Yeah, once the pecking order is declared, things will calm down. The older ones will always peck a bit at the younger ones and it may take a few months to really settle.

 

[chickonaroost]

So more patience is required. OK, I just feel bad for the 'lil gals. No feathers are missing and no blood (thank heavens) so such is life, I guess.
I'm new to this site. I'm glad to see there are others as nuts over chickens as I am. I'll have to tell my husband that I'm normal after all. He thinks the chickens have life better than he does. (and he's not even hen pecked!)

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Since it's mostly one hen keeping them from the food and water, can you add another set? That might help some. Other than that, just keep an eye on them and see how it goes.

 

[Jezebelle]

It sounds mean but i have gone after a few of my hens when they went after the little ones. We had a hen named molly(dominique) that was meaner then a snake, she was not the head of the pecking order but she constantly went after the other smaller girls, she even tried to go after me, she learned quickly i was higher on the chain then she was. Molly drew blood on the other hens, especially when they were little. She went as far to go after the baby rooster, rocky jr. She was just a mean little hen.

When me and my mom brought home 4 chicks, my dad didnt know. He was shocked when he came home from work and saw 4 babies running around the living room floor. but i am sure your hubby will get chicken whipped soon!! how can you resist those cute little faces??!

 

[chickonaroost]

He is loving the fresh eggs and homemade egg noodles...
He is a good sport, built me a darling coop with all the fixin's, even woke at 2am, ran outside in his undies, and helped me get rid of a coon that dug under the coop and tried to get in. I wish I had a camera handy!!

Proud mom of 2 americanas (blue and hawk), 1 buff (Marilyn Monroe), 1 production red (Goldilocks), 1 NHR (Big Red), 2 Barred Rocks (Oreo and Speckle), 1 silver laced polish (Sanjaya...looks like the American Idol) and 1 Speckled Sussex Roo (Gabe)

 

[dumb chicken lady]

homemade egg noodles...sounds good!

 

[chickenmomva]

I am having the same problem with my flock and the little ones getting pecked on .............it may take awhile........it has been almost a month and they are still in the line of fire from time to time.........

 

[Jezebelle]

oo yea..nothing tastes better then those farm fresh eggs, straight from the chickens butt..lol

wow sounds like he is already chicken whipped!! hehehehe