Change in Dynamics due to death of a chicken

[aaswanson]

Hi all...we got our first chickens (2 buff orp's & 1 black Australorp) back in April. Since we were just starting out, we wanted to start small and work up from there. However, we weren't prepared for the immediate problem we were faced with. The trio have only been outside in their big girl coop for maybe a month now (due to the crazy weather here in NH). This past Tuesday we lost our Austrlorp, Diana, and ever since the two buff's have been starting to get real "moody" shall we say. Since then they have been many displays of jumping at each other/on each other, running at each other, I even think blocking the entrance to the the coop at the top of the ramp...I know this is displays of trying to figure out the pecking order. We were planning on getting new chicks this week because we were told if something should happen to one of the last two, then we would lose the whole flock. However, these chicks wouldn't be joining them for at least seven weeks or more. My question is do they need another hen in there ASAP to help balance things out between them and to get the "flock" feeling back for them or will they eventually settle down until the chicks age and I can integrate them?

Thank you so much for any advise!
Amy

 

[midget_farms]

No - they will work it out.

There can be only 1 top hen & it sounds like neither of these girls was it before so they have to work it out.

Be careful introducing new chickens to the flock - the older hens can kill chicks if put in too early. The chicks will get the same treatment the two girls are displaying right now - so they need to be old enough to take a good smack & they need plenty of room to run away. Also - never introduce new birds during the day - plop them onto the perch well after dark (I usually go in around 10pm just before bed).

Hens can't count - so if there are more hens in the morning - it takes them a while to figure it out. If you toss one in during the day they can be attacked as an intruder - they seem to work it out usually - bit its hard on the new hens.

 

[aaswanson]

Thank you midget_farms! Like I said, these girls are only 11 wks old & wasn't expecting to be think about any of this for another year. It was a tragic, unexpected death. I will let the girls work out their issues. I don't plan on adding the babies until 8+ weeks old...i'm going to be in no rush- the whole idea of adding them has me nervous as it is. Thank you for the tips!!

 

[midget_farms]

Anytime - I like to tell my kids that hens sometimes just burn out - like light bulbs.

You will occasionally find one in the coop or yard - gone for no apparent reason. It can be sudden & sad - but if you know it happens sometimes you can be prepared.

In my experience it happens more with young birds than older birds - maybe they don't have a good resistance to infection or other illness (birds do not nomally show signs of illness until too late) - its hard to say.

 

[aaswanson]

I just wanted to check in about my two 12 wk old buff's. Things aren't getting any better....worse actually. One of the pullet's, Anne, is not calming down and getting worse as time goes on. All day long she's going after Lucy, her sister. She's been raising her hackle feathers all the time, pecking at her and earlier when I went out I found feathers all over the place. I see no signs of injury, but you can tell things are escalating. I had read about putting chickens in "time out," bu since there are only the two b/c our Australorp passed away (who apparently kept these two calm) almost two weeks ago that would leave only one pullet in the coop. We got peeps this week too (silkies) and I am deathly afraid that when the time comes (weeks from now) to introduce them that they will be seriously injured if Anne is still acting like this!!!

What can/should I do????

Thank you!!

 

[midget_farms]

Sorry to hear this isn't getting any better yet.

Anne is definately the top hen & Lucy being the only one left to peck - she gets it all the time.

Make sure they have space - Lucy needs room to run away - this is normal behavior & no lasting harm should happen so long as they have room to get away.

If you ever see blood - they need to be separated for a week or two -

There are things you can use to protect Lucy - jackets, or even glasses that can clip onto Anne that helps keep her from focusing on Lucy so much. I've never used these types of thing so I can't say how they work.


Can anyone who has had 2 birds chime in here? It seems like normal pecking order behavior to me, but I've always had more than 2 birds.

 

[AmericaunaMama]

Last year I had 5, and when the boss lady died suddenly things got ugly for a little while, but as midget said they will sort themselves out. Over a short time we lost them one by one (to a German Shepherd, the whole story can be read in previous streams, I will spare you here, but the dog is gone now). The hardest was when we were down to one. Two bickering is better than one sad lonely hen. Maybe try some toys, or treats in separate piles so they aren't fighting over them. Someone else suggested a mirror at one point. Maybe that will distract the meaner one, let her pick on "someone her own size" for a while, at the least it will throw off the dynamic. As smart as they can be they are still easily tricked.

If this behavior doesn't subside, however, watch it with new chicks. The only way I can imagine integrating new girls would be to seriously outnumber the other two and make them feel like they have to submit to a new flock. Even that may not go smoothly. About two months ago I integrated 2 groups of spring chicks, the first 6 had been raised together and were 2-3 weeks older than the other 11 who were back and forth in brooders together. The all live "happily" together now, but the first 6 still pick on the others even though they are comparable in size as "teenagers." The bonus for the little girls is that the larger breeds within their group they will back the smaller breeds if they are getting picked on. They have personalities as diverse as people so there is not one easy fix. Let us know how it goes, and try the mirror thing!

 

[thepouts]

Watch out for your dear silkies when the time comes for them to cohabitate with your 2 remaining chicks. I can imagine the silkies would get severely picked on. We only have silkies and I regularly need to integrate new members into our flock. I always keep them separated for a few days by some chicken wire so that they can still see each other but can't actually get to them.

I section off part of the run or put them in a cage inside the run. This always works for me and the pecking order has always sorted itself out.

Best of luck!

 

[aaswanson]

Thanks everyone
I will put a mirror and a few other things out there today & see how that helps things. I know Anne is trying to take, and is, top hen and is getting more aggressive toward Lucy and us in the process. Lucy is sweet and still will let me hold her/touch her- hoping I can keep her that way. My biggest fear is what Anne could do to her and more so the silkies when the time comes. They so much smaller and so docile, so I think will be prime targets. I will put all your advise into action and see is that helps ease her a bit.

Thanks!

 

[CherishHolland]

You said you found feathers everywhere make sure you check the other gal and if she has any pink showing blue kote it or put some make up foundation on it if you don't have blue kote. I have a gal who is the runt so she gets pecked on and plucked let's say she is sporting new colors on her wings because I put foundation on her pink spots.