Chicken wars

[582WolffHall]

Hello all!!! Glad to be a new member. We're hoping someone might have some advice. We've got a lone Spekldy hen who lost her buddies to a fox recently. We bought a new hen to keep her company. She's a Buff Orpington who arrived in a bit of a state she in moult and has a pale comb. We thought it would be a good breed to introduce to our girl as they are know to be docile and friendly. We kept the orpington separate yesterday and roosted her separately. We kept them separate today and let them roam together this evening before roosting them together. The Orpington was quite feisty and pecked our established hen. We're worried she may try and kill her as she's a lot bigger. They are roosting fine but I understand that is normal. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Perhaps it was a bad idea to get a lone hen?

 

[Den in Penn]

Welcome to BYC.

No, your case it wasn't a bad thing to add a single hen to another single hen. It is when you add a singleton to established flock when problems can get bad. Still it is a good idea to give them enough time to get to know each other though a wire for a week till they can physically interact. If they got along reasonably well in the roaming this evening then you could cut the time they are separated down.

 

[junebuggena]

Welcome to BYC.

No, your case it wasn't a bad thing to add a single hen to another single hen. It is when you add a singleton to established flock when problems can get bad. Still it is a good idea to give them enough time to get to know each other though a wire for a week till they can physically interact. If they got along reasonably well in the roaming this evening then you could cut the time they are separated down.

x2
Also, keep in mind that there will be some pecking and fighting for dominance. It's just chickens being chickens. It's not called 'pecking order' for nothing.

 

[582WolffHall]

Thanks maybe we were a bit hasty in our socialising. I can keep them isolated tomorrow. I'll put our more establish choock in the main coop and keep the other in the inner coop perhaps.

 

[Pork Pie]

IMO we as humans can overthink what we perceive as overt aggression when it comes to our feathered friends. As long as there is no blood drawn or persistent bullying, the sooner they sort things out the better. My chickens are fine until it comes to roosting time - then they take on a different persona completely - crackers, the lot of 'em!

Of course, do what you feel is best for you - there's already good options from other members.

Good luck

Ct

 

[582WolffHall]

Thanks for your helps guys they seem to be getting on OK. Our established chicken is giving the Orpington space so fingers crossed. Any ideas why the new hens feathers are all white and glued together she's missing some feathers and I think she's in moult.

 

[Den in Penn]

Each time a chicken molts it's feathers tend to grow back a little paler especially if it doesn't have the pigments available. With a buff a little fake can make it look white sooner. Glued together?

 

[donrae]

If they're already together, I think you're just going to set things back if you separate them now. They're going to have to work things out eventually and continually separating them is only going to prolong the process. Pecking each other is normal, especially at roosting time. As long as it's not persistent chasing, cornering and pecking, things like that, your birds are fine. One bird pecking the other, the other making a bunch of noise and running away---that's normal chicken interaction.

 

[azygous]

I recently introduced a Buff Orpington hen to a flock of twenty. The results have been predictable. The flock either hates her or are indifferent to her at best. But she's slowly learning who she can trust to leave her alone and who she needs to keep her eye out for.

In your case, as Den pointed out, adding one hen with a single hen is not going to be a big problem. It won't take long for the two of them to get to know each other and to establish rank as they relate to each other. You have no say in who gets to be top hen, by the way. They settle that themselves, and continue to do so over the years they live together.

The thing to understand about chickens is that they have a relationship with each of all the chickens in a flock. In your case, you have just two hens that have one other chicken with which they need to relate. In my Buff's case, she has twenty other chickens with which to try to learn to relate, and you can see right off how much more complex that's going to be, as well as how much more time will be required for her to find her place in the flock.

Leave your two girls together to work their relationship out. Inside of a day, they should have settled it pretty much.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

They are not docile,and escpecialy are not nice.I have had problems with my BO picking fights,and just being plain down rude.she is determine to fight my New Hampshire red,for some odd reason,she put's her in her place once,but the BO never learns to stop.I do not think she will kill her,but if you feel better separating her,then you can.They will figure out the pecking order.