first time owner with finicky chickens

[maribadi]

Hi everybody. I love all the information on this site, and can't wait to keep learning. I started out with 3 chicks (1 buff, 2 rhode island) that I raised in a brooder, and all was going well, until about a month after I got them my house got broken into and one of them was chick-napped (not even joking, my wedding rings, our laptop, and a chick. WTH?!?). Anyway, all three were really great, and so sweet, so I decided I wanted to get one to replace the missing girl. Went to our local store (different place than I got the first 3) and they only had 2 left. So I took them both home (2 Sicilian buttercups). These two are SO different from the others. They do not like to be handled, and run like crazy, and are always trying to escape the brooder. I slowly introduced them to the older girls, and they stayed away from each other for the most part. After a few play dates, I put them all out into the coop together, but the buttercups just won't settle down. They always run from the other two, and the older girls are now feeling empowered and pecking at the other two. Will they ever settle down together, or should I put them in separate coops for good?

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

Welcome to BYC!!!

Glad to have you aboard!!

 

[redsoxs]

Greetings from Kansas, maribadi, and

! Pleased you joined us! Sorry to how about the circumstances of your lost chick! Weird! Chickens can be quite mean to one another. Are the ages (or at least sizes) of the two groups close? In not, let the smaller ones grow up to be close size wise to the others. If they are but are still fighting, you might have to separate them between a fence so they have visual access but not contact. They might get used to each other this way. Good luck to you!

 

[drumstick diva]

Redsoxs gave you good advice

 

[1muttsfan]

Hi and welcome to BYC from northern Michigan

As long as they all have plenty of space to move away from each other, they should eventually work things out. Separate them if things look like they are getting serious - blood drawn, for example.

 

[maribadi]

Thank you for the advice. They are currently in a smaller coop that we got for free, but I am almost finished building a bigger coop. I will see if it gets better in a bigger coop, if not I'll leave the younger ones in the smaller coop and just keeep the older girls in the new coop .