Easter Egger with an attitude problem!

[NewYorkMama]

Hi y’all. I have a 2 year old Easter Egger who is a sweetie to humans and her “sister” a 6 year old buff orpington. A few weeks ago I introduced 6 babies (8 weeks old now) to the 2 big girls. We started with just a visual “greeting” the chicks in a completely separate space where the big girls could see but not interact. Next we started limited in person interactions where I sat right in the yard with the babies around me and watched the big girls like a hawk. My Easter egger at that point just ran away and made lots of noise. The Orpington was curious and a bit bossy. After another week or two, they now interact in the fenced yard all day long, though they still sleep (& eat breakfast/dinner) in separate coops. The Orpington has completely accepted them, will even eat out of my hand with the babies, and has happily let the baby cockerel Orpington rest against her while she’s sleeping in the sun. The Easter Egger on the otherhand is still PISSED. She sulks around making noises, actively chases any chicks that get close, will go out of her way to peck a baby I’m holding on the feet or whatever she can reach. She’s even started picking on her big sister.

Any advice on where to go from here? Is it just a waiting game… as in waiting for the babies to get bigger? She’s from my last set of chicks and her “big sisters” were all orpingtons who were all cool with new chicks. So I haven’t encountered this kind of behavior before. Thanks all!

 

[sourland]

Sounds like a relatively smooth introduction of new birds to a flock. As long as blood is not being drawn, give her time to get her act together.

 

[NewYorkMama]

Sounds like a relatively smooth introduction of new birds to a flock. As long as blood is not being drawn, give her time to get her act together.

No blood so far and they are spending all day “together”. It’s a big yard & the littles have lots of hiding places so they mostly avoid the EE. I think I’m just feeling anxious about the future when they all share the larger coop/run. The littles will be outgrowing their current coop soon (it’s probably only good for 2-3 full grown chickens).

I also just feel bad for the EE she spends so much time “whining” around the yard like she’s just mad about the whole thing, muttering under her breath.

 

[-Chanticleer-]

No blood so far and they are spending all day “together”. It’s a big yard & the littles have lots of hiding places so they mostly avoid the EE. I think I’m just feeling anxious about the future when they all share the larger coop/run. The littles will be outgrowing their current coop soon (it’s probably only good for 2-3 full grown chickens).

I also just feel bad for the EE she spends so much time “whining” around the yard like she’s just mad about the whole thing, muttering under her breath.

my polish hen did the same thing took her two weeks to get over herself. She now will eat with the chicks no problem. She’s about the same size of my olive egger who is 10 weeks.

 

[SoCal Chicken Mama]

I entered the question, "Are Eater Eggers bossy?" because I'm seeing similar new, odd behaviors with mine. I have one Easter Egger (in hopes of a blue or green egg), a Rhode Island Red, what is supposed to be a Golden Sex Link, but she is now almost identical to the RIR, and a big giant yellow Buff Orpington. They are all the same age, and I've had them since they were 3 days old.

I should tell you, when they were small, the EE was much bigger than the rest, and my friend has always suspected she is a rooster. Now that they are all 16 weeks, the Orpington is much bigger than the rest (I suspect that she will be first to lay an egg), the Red Birds are starting to bully her! They line up on top of the next box and won't let her go in! I think I have even seen them not letting her have access to the water. Sometimes they chase her around.

The EE is also showing some suspicious "boy like" behavior, favoring first one of the reds, and then the other, and snubbing the first.