Chickens Just Wandered into My Yard.

[BY Bob]

I know, right! It's savage. I've integrated others birds into the flock with no problems in the past (and as recently as 8 weeks ago).

I'll just wait it out. It had only been a couple of weeks penned next to each other, so probably a bit early anyway. It's all a game of patience with chickens. I have the space and the time to wait. I'd like to have them integrated by the end of July if possible, but if not, c'est la vie.

I'm sorry to hear that but you have the right attitude. I hope you have gotten some eggs for your trouble. Be the least the new girls could do.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

The buff bird has white earlobes so I believe that it’s a Buff Leghorn. Beautiful bird regardless of breed.

 

[MickWithChicks]

The buff bird has white earlobes so I believe that it’s a Buff Leghorn. Beautiful bird regardless of breed. View attachment 1454892

Correct! I hadn't heard of Buff Leghorns when I posted the original post, but have since discovered them when I was trying to source some Crested Cream Legbar chicks. The breeder had Buff Leghorns and she looks exactly like them.

It's hard to see in this pic, but she's quite a bit leaner than Orpingtons, and her wattle and comb are much more defined too. Definitely a Leghorn.

I'm sorry to hear that but you have the right attitude. I hope you have gotten some eggs for your trouble. Be the least the new girls could do.

Haha, no eggs just yet, though winter solstice has now passed and some of the other ladies have started laying again. We get more eggs than we can eat and are giving them away to family and friends anyway, so not too fussed at this point. I'm sure it'll happen soon enough

 

[MickWithChicks]

One of the girls has started laying. I'm not 100% sure which one, but I've spotted the wyandotte sitting (and not laying) on and off for the past week. Two eggs so far, but both have had holes pecked in them...I'll make a bigger nesting box on the weekend and throw in a couple of decoy eggs too to try to mitigate it moving forward.

Also, I tried integrating them again today. Again, the 7 in my main flock went on the gang up attack. I'll be waiting for the pinless peepers to arrive before I try again.

 

[BY Bob]

Glad to hear they are comfortable enough to stay laying. I'm sorry to hear the integration is still an issue.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I know of one hen who moved 2 miles all on her own over maybe a 4 or 5 month period.

 

[MickWithChicks]

I decided to just throw them all together again today and let it play out. Sure enough, the stroppy seven went straight into attack mode, but only on two of them. The other two they left alone. The SLW is top of the pecking order of the wandering foursome, and she was the one who copped it most. The buff leghorn is the bottom of the wandering foursome pecking order and was largely left alone. After about an hour of this, everything settled and they were happy scratching together in the run.

Later, one of my marans hens and the SLW had a bit of a tiff. Kicking at eachother and whatnot. That stopped pretty quickly; I guess they sorted it out in chicken language.

I wanted to see what would happen at roost time tonight so I left them in the run together to see where they'd go. The wandering four are happily roosting with the four I introduced a few months prior: my two araucanas and two marans'. My other nine hens are on their usual roost at the other side of the coop.

Something odd happened on the roost though. There was an egg on the ground underneath the roost (intact), and a broken soft-shelled egg on the roost / all over the BLH's head and neck (she wasn't eating it and was distressed at being covered in yolk). I think the excitement of being with the other birds may have awoken their laying capabilities again and hopefully I'll start seeing some eggs from them.

 

[aart]

and a broken soft-shelled egg on the roost / all over the BLH's head and neck (she wasn't eating it and was distressed at being covered in yolk).

I had this happen the other night, found it when I went in for the head count and lockup.
Was only a bit on the bird below, was glad I could scoop it up and wipe her off right then.
Woulda been a mess by the time I let them out in the morning.

Glad you got them all together, sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and let them sort it out.

 

[BY Bob]

I decided to just throw them all together again today and let it play out. Sure enough, the stroppy seven went straight into attack mode, but only on two of them. The other two they left alone. The SLW is top of the pecking order of the wandering foursome, and she was the one who copped it most. The buff leghorn is the bottom of the wandering foursome pecking order and was largely left alone. After about an hour of this, everything settled and they were happy scratching together in the run.

Later, one of my marans hens and the SLW had a bit of a tiff. Kicking at eachother and whatnot. That stopped pretty quickly; I guess they sorted it out in chicken language.

I wanted to see what would happen at roost time tonight so I left them in the run together to see where they'd go. The wandering four are happily roosting with the four I introduced a few months prior: my two araucanas and two marans'. My other nine hens are on their usual roost at the other side of the coop.

Something odd happened on the roost though. There was an egg on the ground underneath the roost (intact), and a broken soft-shelled egg on the roost / all over the BLH's head and neck (she wasn't eating it and was distressed at being covered in yolk). I think the excitement of being with the other birds may have awoken their laying capabilities again and hopefully I'll start seeing some eggs from them.

That's good. Hopefully things will settle in right now. Good deal, Congrats.

 

[MickWithChicks]

I'm going to call that a success! A couple of little pecks here and there today, but no fighting or bullying, and definitely no gang-ups from what I could see. My cats will be pleased to have their aviary back

Of my 17 hens, 11 laid today. I don't know if any of the wanderers laid, but not bad for mid-winter.

Here's an obligatory pic of the wandering 4 trying to squeeze onto the top roost with my 2 marans' and 2 (au/uk standard) araucana's: