Good Grief! Do the ever just NOT get along????

[kimboolah]

I have my original 9 ladies (Isa Browns or some fashion of that) and I bought a beautiful black sexlink and they HATE her! They all slept in the same coop last night, but when I let them out, they wouldn't let her eat, so I left her in the coop and fed/watered her in there. They also terrorize my little silkie and my spalsh, but they are better with them (or the little ones are faster). How long is this mean-ness going to last? My black sexlink is gorgeous and I love her--she is a nice bird, but she is getting skittish now, since they are so mean to her.

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

It sounds like they are trying to re-establish the pecking order. When you introduce a new bird, they have to determine her place in the flock. It should calm down in a few days.

 

[Opa]

Usually they will settle down in a day or two. However, if the pecking draws blood it oftens intensifies to the point of death; so keep an eye on them.

 

[Highlander]

I once tried to introduce a single different coloured bird to my small flock of Isa Browns. They never let up on her, even after a few weeks so I gave up and relocated her.

Could you perhaps get another couple of new birds and introduce them as a group - safety in numbers?

 

[Opa]

I had the same problem with having the majority of the birds of one color picking on the odd bird. I solved the problem by changing the makeup of my flock to only two hens of a color. Now I have about thirty hens of 15 different colors. I call it my "rainbow" flock and I have very few problems with them.

 

[krazycow6]

It is hard to just introduce just one bird to a flock, especially when they are fully grown.