Does your flock have an outcast?

[Oceanbyrd]

I can't pick her up. She is too skittish. I could try shooing her in first maybe?? If you see a picture of my coop, though we have added external nesting boxes you don't see in the picture, you will see it is small and difficult to fully access. I will try though.

Maybe that, along with another roost, will help. I really do want to try less invasive fixes first.

By the way, flo sounds like a real character

 

[azygous]

Oh you have no idea what a character Flo is! She was precocious at just two weeks old, perching on my head as she routinely tried to break out of the brooder. She's too smart for her britches, if she had them.

Have you tried getting down at her level and quietly coaxing her to come to you with something like a wiggly meal worm? That ploy never fails when I need to pick up a rather skittish hen. And it also serves to make them less skittish as they learn to trust you. Let her get very close so you don't have to make a lunge for her.

I hold the treat out from my body and let them take it. Then the second one I hold close in so they're practically in my lap when I wrap an arm around them. Try to do it with no sudden movements, possible with practice.

Watch and see what kind of problems she's encountering in the coop at roosting time. I've solved the problem with bullies by stapling a heavy curtain over the perch to form a partition at one end, creating a sort of private stall. It both gives the victim confidence she won't be molested, and prevents the bully from reaching her.

I have a couple of these in both coops. If you'll observe roosting time, you'll see how brutally competitive it can be. I've found the timid ones learn they're safe between the curtain and the wall on the perch, and they will perch there on their own after you show them it's there.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Anytime you have two or more chickens you have a flock. In any flock there will be a top and a bottom bird. If you find it disturbing to see one hen bossed around by another remember that this isn't the Oprah show your watching it is real life in the henhouse. In other words flesh and blood chickens acting in the way mother nature intended for them to act. I know of only two ways to prevent your hens from acting like you report yours do. Way #1 is to keep only one hen at a time, and way # 2 is keep all your chickens in battery cages.

This is in no way intended to disparage you or anyone else. It is however intended to be an indictment of our crazy human nature. Many of us keep chickens because we feel that they are exploited or kept in captivity under unnatural or cruel conditions. Then what is the first thing that we do? Why we inflict small cruelties and large injustices on our feathered charges in an unsuccessful attempt to control our hens basic nature, all in a misguided attempt to remake our hens in the image of a human.

 

[Oceanbyrd]

Anytime you have two or more chickens you have a flock.  In any flock there will be a top and a bottom bird.  If you find it disturbing to see one hen bossed around by another remember that this isn't the Oprah show your watching it is real life in the henhouse. In other words flesh and blood chickens acting in the way mother nature intended for them to act.  I know of only two ways to prevent your hens from acting like you report yours do.  Way #1 is to keep only one hen at a time, and way # 2 is keep all your chickens in battery cages. 

This is in no way intended to disparage you or anyone else.  It is however intended to be an indictment of our crazy human nature.  Many of us keep chickens because we feel that they are exploited or kept in captivity under unnatural or cruel conditions. Then what is the first thing that we do?  Why we inflict small cruelties and large injustices on our feathered charges in an unsuccessful attempt to control our hens basic nature, all in a misguided attempt to remake our hens in the image of a human.

I am afraid I did find your statement rather condescending. I have already stated that I know chicken behavior quite well, having grown up in the country with my family owning a small flock of chickens, rabbits (for eating) and a cow each year to raise for slaughter. In other words, I know this isn't the Oprah Show.

That does not stop me from asking advice to see if I can, realistically, take care of the issue. Whether they are dogs, chickens, or frogs, I will try to help create a situation that is as stressless (is that a word ) as possible.

Your " solutions" are ridiculous, as I am sure you meant them to be. I have found more practical solutions here. I WILL see if I can help her enter the coop and perhaps show her a corner she can roost in, if she chooses to. I WILL add a seperate roost in the coop so that they are not forced to share one, if they don't want too. If it gets bad enough she is being bloodied and wounded, I WILL seperate her. Or, perhaps, if necessary, butcher her for dinner.

I will endeavor not to inflict any inflict small cruelties and large injustices on my feathered charges.

 

[Oceanbyrd]

Oh you have no idea what a character Flo is! She was precocious at just two weeks old, perching on my head as she routinely tried to break out of the brooder. She's too smart for her britches, if she had them.

Have you tried getting down at her level and quietly coaxing her to come to you with something like a wiggly meal worm? That ploy never fails when I need to pick up a rather skittish hen. And it also serves to make them less skittish as they learn to trust you. Let her get very close so you don't have to make a lunge for her.

I hold the treat out from my body and let them take it. Then the second one I hold close in so they're practically in my lap when I wrap an arm around them. Try to do it with no sudden movements, possible with practice.

Watch and see what kind of problems she's encountering in the coop at roosting time. I've solved the problem with bullies by stapling a heavy curtain over the perch to form a partition at one end, creating a sort of private stall. It both gives the victim confidence she won't be molested, and prevents the bully from reaching her.

I have a couple of these in both coops. If you'll observe roosting time, you'll see how brutally competitive it can be. I've found the timid ones learn they're safe between the curtain and the wall on the perch, and they will perch there on their own after you show them it's there.

I have tried. She used to be part of a farmer's large flock. They were not even used to taking food from hand when they got them. I don't worry about making them pets (I'm not against it, mind you ) but I do wish they would come to me easier when I want to check their health, shoo them somewhere, or such.

They don't even let her in the coop. If I can get her to come to me, I will try to put her in there in the corner, to see if she wants to roost there, and make sure she can get free if they try to chase her. I will also take another person's advice and try putting in a second roosting bar, so they wouldn't be forced to roost together.

 

[coop-er]

I am afraid I did find your statement rather condescending. I have already stated that I know chicken behavior quite well, having grown up in the country with my family owning a small flock of chickens, rabbits (for eating) and a cow each year to raise for slaughter. In other words, I know this isn't the Oprah Show.

That does not stop me from asking advice to see if I can, realistically, take care of the issue. Whether they are dogs, chickens, or frogs, I will try to help create a situation that is as stressless (is that a word ) as possible.

Your " solutions" are ridiculous, as I am sure you meant them to be. I have found more practical solutions here. I WILL see if I can help her enter the coop and perhaps show her a corner she can roost in, if she chooses to. I WILL add a seperate roost in the coop so that they are not forced to share one, if they don't want too. If it gets bad enough she is being bloodied and wounded, I WILL seperate her. Or, perhaps, if necessary, butcher her for dinner.

I will endeavor not to inflict any inflict small cruelties and large injustices on my feathered charges.

Oceanbyrd-I hope you find a solution for the " hen-pecking" that is going on with your ladies. Keep checking in here, there is alot of good advice and helpful information, don't let chickengeorge get to you. He did this same sort of thing to me when I was looking for input. However, when I "barked back" he did not reply...hhhmmmmm?

 

[Oceanbyrd]

Ah, it's all good. And I have gotten some good advice. I feel quite welcome here. I'm afraid I barked back as well, lol. So I was a bit testy too. .

Thank you. I love this forum. It is really helpful for me and my "girls"

-Ocean

 

[GPowell]

I recently added a Black Australorp to my extremely small but ever growing flock of 2 Golden Buff Orpington's. The one Orpington is the Matriarch, numero uno on the pecking order. She is also the biggest out of all 3 hen's. Then there is her minion. Whatever the leader does she will follow suit. I put the new Austalorp hen in the coop on one of the roost's while everyone was asleep last night and when I got up this morning I didn't see her in the run with the other 2. I went outside to check and to make sure everything was alright and When I got to the coop I can see the Australorp on one of the roost's looking out the window. I opened up the door to the run and the two Golden Buff's ran out into the yard. At that time I decided to change out the water. While I was changing out the water I seen The Australorp come out of the coop door and straight to the water bucket while it was still filling. While the Orpington's where out in the yard scratching around The Australorp got a much deserved drink of water. One of the 2 caught notice and made there way back into the run area where Australorp was and chased her away from the water. I understand there needs to be a pecking order and not to interfere unless I absolutely need to so I let it be. I closed the door to the run area and sat back and watched for a bit. What I noticed was that the Minion Orpington was doing more of the harassing then the Queen, but she was getting her fare share of bullying in too. After about 10 minutes or so, the Australorp got sick of being picked on I guess and flew back inside the coop.
After about 2-3 hours I went back outside to check on everyone. The Australorp was still inside the coop. I brought some scratch with me and threw it all around the run area. The Austalorp Jumped down off the roost and straight down into the run area to get what she could. After about 20 minutes or so, I guess the two Orpington's felt as if she had enough and started pushing her around a bit more. They were pecking at her, jumping on her back, stealing her food you name it they were doing it!

She started to run around me for a little bit of cover which I thought was humorous and cute. I stepped out of the run area and closed the door behind me. The australorp continued to try and get whatever food she could before she flew on one of the outside roosts, I guess she was tired of getting harassed. I have never seen the queen or the minion use that until today, and I'll be ****** if the minion hen didn't jump up there and peck her off the roost. After she got pecked off she made her way back into the coop and onto one of the roost's. I will let the hens do what they have to do but they will, I hope start to get along or at the least tolerate each other.

 

[Oceanbyrd]

I recently added a Black Australorp  to my extremely small but ever growing flock of 2 Golden Buff Orpington's. The one Orpington is the Matriarch, numero uno on the pecking order. She is also the biggest out of all 3 hen's. Then there is her minion. Whatever the leader does she will follow suit.  I put the new Austalorp hen in the coop on one of the roost's while everyone was asleep last night and when I got up this morning I didn't see her in the run with the other 2.  I went outside to check and to make sure everything was alright and When I got to the coop I can see the Australorp on one of the roost's looking out the window. I opened up the door to the run and the two Golden Buff's ran out into the yard. At that time I decided to change out the water. While I was changing out the water I seen The Australorp come out of the coop door and straight to the water bucket while it was still filling. While the Orpington's where out in the yard scratching around The Australorp got a much deserved drink of water. One of the 2 caught notice and made there way back into the run area where Australorp was and chased her away from the water. I understand there needs to be a pecking order and not to interfere unless I absolutely need to so I let it be. I closed the door to the run area and sat back and watched for a bit. What I noticed was that the Minion Orpington was doing more of the harassing then the Queen, but she was getting her fare share of bullying in too. After about 10 minutes or so, the Australorp got sick of being picked on I guess and flew back inside the coop.
After about 2-3 hours I went back outside to check on everyone. The Australorp was still inside the coop. I brought some scratch with me and threw it all around the run area. The Austalorp Jumped down off the roost and straight down into the run area to get what she could. After about 20 minutes or so, I guess the two Orpington's felt as if she had enough and started pushing her around a bit more. They were pecking at her, jumping on her back, stealing her food you name it they were doing it!  She started to run around me for a little bit of cover which I thought was humorous and cute. I stepped out of the run area and closed the door behind me. The australorp continued to try and get whatever food she could before she flew on one of the outside roosts, I guess she was tired of getting harassed. I have never seen the  queen or the minion use that until today, and I'll be ****** if the minion hen didn't jump up there and peck her off the roost. After she got pecked off she made her way back into the coop and onto one of the roost's. I will let the hens do what they have to do but they will, I hope start to get along or at the least tolerate each other.

In general, I would leave them too it. I got worried that, in my case and, due to the prolonged length and severity of the behavior, she would become bloodied and it would necessitate separation.
It is frustrating, isn't it! You are lucky to have a run you can walk in, ours isn't tall enough. We may fix that this spring when we expand it.

 

[GPowell]

In general, I would leave them too it. I got worried that, in my case and, due to the prolonged length and severity of the behavior, she would become bloodied and it would necessitate separation.
It is frustrating, isn't it! You are lucky to have a run you can walk in, ours isn't tall enough. We may fix that this spring when we expand it.

That's exactly what I intend to do, leave them to it and let them have at it. I haven't seen the 2 bullies get to overly aggressive with the new Australorp, I think there just letting her know where she's gonna stand in the pecking order. From my understanding and from what I have read it usually lasts about a week or so give or take a little, then they should start to tolerate each other. (Fingers Crossed.) I noticed that the australorp likes to come out when the other two are free ranging, but due to our frozen, snow covered ground they remained in the run area pretty much all day. they went out for about 10 minutes and came right back in. during those 10 minutes the australorp came out of refuge to drink some water and eat what she could. she remained in the run when the queen and her minion came back for about 10-15 minutes until she got cast back up in the coop. I figure once the snow and ice melts and the 2 bullies get a chance to roam around the yard scratching for bugs the autralorp outcast can enjoy the outside in the run area eating and drinking as she pleases. I will try and post some pics of them here soon.
Good luck on your coop expansion in the spring. I have a few upgrade ideas myself.