Maybe someone can help with this problem....I'm running out of ideas and getting frustrated with this integration that I thought we had all worked out..
It started with our one BR hen going broody back in June. We left her and the eggs in the tractor until they hatched, then moved them to the brooder just in case the other two hens would hurt the babies. Mom and babies stayed in the brooder until about 5 weeks ago.
The first integration didn't go well since the BR was still in Momma mode and tried to hurt the remaining adult hen. (The other had a prolapse and had to be put down, she was too flighty for anyone to help her.
) So, dh put up a divider between the broody and the babies and the other hen. That worked well because the chicks were able to run underneath the wire betweeen both hens.
The other hen, Hannah, never bothered the little ones, and as a couple of weeks went by, the broody calmed down, the wire came down, and all was peaceful.
Well, flash foward to this week. The chicks are 9 weeks old, the broody is completely out of Momma mode and now BOTH adult hens are ganging up on the chicks!
I know that some bullying is normal to get the chicks to forage for themselves, but this is rediculous what the two hens are doing. They have thier own layer pellets, oyster shell,and plenty of treats, but are bullying the chicks, hogging the chick starter/growe because it's crumbles, not pellets, and anytime one of the chicks ever try to come down from the roost, the adults flog the heck out of them, so the chicks run back upstairs where they have no acess to food OR water.
I've tried everything from chicken jail for over a few days, to squirting them when they try to harass the younger ones.
Nothing is working, so after the poor young ones were up most of the day in the roost where it's really hot, and two drenched hens, I put them back in chicken jail where they are going to stay. It's too small for two grown hens to stay in for weeks at a time, so the only thing that dh and I can do is to take our extra large dog carrier, and make a separate pen and run for the adults until the chicks get closer to the adult hens size.
I'm just really frustrated that after thinking that everything was finally settling down, now the order is all messed up again, and I am not going to risk having any of my babies hurt or starving because of two greedy hens.
Anyone have any suggestions? I'm already dreading a 9+ week seperation and then having to go through this AGAIN with two roos thrown into the mix.
Thanks.
It started with our one BR hen going broody back in June. We left her and the eggs in the tractor until they hatched, then moved them to the brooder just in case the other two hens would hurt the babies. Mom and babies stayed in the brooder until about 5 weeks ago.
The first integration didn't go well since the BR was still in Momma mode and tried to hurt the remaining adult hen. (The other had a prolapse and had to be put down, she was too flighty for anyone to help her.
The other hen, Hannah, never bothered the little ones, and as a couple of weeks went by, the broody calmed down, the wire came down, and all was peaceful.
Well, flash foward to this week. The chicks are 9 weeks old, the broody is completely out of Momma mode and now BOTH adult hens are ganging up on the chicks!
I know that some bullying is normal to get the chicks to forage for themselves, but this is rediculous what the two hens are doing. They have thier own layer pellets, oyster shell,and plenty of treats, but are bullying the chicks, hogging the chick starter/growe because it's crumbles, not pellets, and anytime one of the chicks ever try to come down from the roost, the adults flog the heck out of them, so the chicks run back upstairs where they have no acess to food OR water.
I've tried everything from chicken jail for over a few days, to squirting them when they try to harass the younger ones.
Nothing is working, so after the poor young ones were up most of the day in the roost where it's really hot, and two drenched hens, I put them back in chicken jail where they are going to stay. It's too small for two grown hens to stay in for weeks at a time, so the only thing that dh and I can do is to take our extra large dog carrier, and make a separate pen and run for the adults until the chicks get closer to the adult hens size.
I'm just really frustrated that after thinking that everything was finally settling down, now the order is all messed up again, and I am not going to risk having any of my babies hurt or starving because of two greedy hens.
Anyone have any suggestions? I'm already dreading a 9+ week seperation and then having to go through this AGAIN with two roos thrown into the mix.
Thanks.
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