Our chicks are 7-8 weeks old now, and all of a sudden the little red frizzle bantam chick is constantly by herself, and when she is with the others, a couple of the "bigger" more alpha hens are being really mean, chasing her away. The bigger ones are truly 4-6 times the size of the frizzles, but they're never mean to her sister. I realize that all of their little personalities are just starting to become more and more obvious, and I don't want to sound like an idiot either but was hoping that someone might have some advice for me! Thanks so much! I LOVE BYC!!!!! ee
I have had smaller hens in the past that the bigger ones always picked on. They just learned to keep away. It was sad. She never got pecked to bleeding, but always chased away. And she would stay on her own side of coop and when they were out free ranging they left her alone pretty much as she could stay away.
We had a red cochin frizzle too (and several other types of bantams) and it was truly an odd ball. It would never act like the other chicks, walked around alone, made strange noises, squacked like crazy all day, liked to roost alone on our deck every night, etc. We thought it was a pullet, but never laid eggs, even when all our others had started laying. Finally after about a year she turned out to be a "he" and started crowing. We live in the city and had to get rid of it. Weird. Maybe it is the breed?
First of all, chickens are like my neigbhours: they don't like anything different... In a mixed flock, ones with feathered legs will most likely stick together, the same with bearded or top hats... Is her sister mean to her also? If you can separate the bully birds from the group...that will mix up the pecking order a bit and give Miss Frizzle a chance to fit in.
Hi, I feel your pain! I have 2 frizzles in my little flock of 8 banty cochins. 2 frizzles, one black, one white. The white one has been picked on by the others (golden laced and buff) since the very day that little curled feathers appeared on her wing tips!! She was a target forever after. They darned near picked her clean enough for the pot this winter, so she spent time alone with us. She is friendly and talks to you constantly! The black one seems to hold her own, and is more feisty. She was reintroduced to the flock. Again the same thing. She now has individual housing and we refer to her as Princess Chick Chick. She is not pretty by any means but her cute personality makes up for it. She does show her gratitude by laying an egg nearly every day! Anyway, good luck with your poor frizzle. I wish I knew what could change it.
I have 8 girls and the first 4 we got at Tractor Supply and were mixed pullets (don't know any specific breeds). They are all white (except for the chic that had a black dot on her head, and her name is...gues what.. Dot). A couple of weeks later we got 4 more, 3 black sex links and one barred rock. The barred rock was only a few days old and younger than the sex links and the tractor supply chics. I kept the black ones in the house in a tub under a heat lamp for a couple of weeks before I let them out (it was still pretty cool out but was warming up). Once the black birds were with the white birds.. it was like segregation all over again. The white girls ate first and chased the black ones around, especially the barred rock (whom I named Delta as she was always flying around trying to escape the bigger white ones). The other three black ones protected Delta. The white girls were mean to the black ones too. As they grew and their sizes caught up (they aren't more than 2 weeks older than the black girls), the segregation started to end and the black ones exceeded the size of the white ones. Now, Turtle seems to be the Alpha hen (she is one of the sex links). This is the first time we have ever had chickens (I grew up in a metro city area) and I love them and am learning about all their quirks.