Yesterday, I picked up two new hens. I am told they are 4.5 months old and should be laying soon. One is a Barred Rock. Her name is Callie. The other is a Rhode Island Red. Her name is Sissie. She's having a heck of a time, because my Speckled Sussix, Penny, has decided she hates her. She hunts her down and pecks her. Poor Sissie can't get near the food or water and is constantly running for safety. I know this is in the natural scheme of things, but how long do I let it go on before I step in? Sissie and Callie are supposedly 4.5 weeks old. Penny (the SS) and Bertha (the EE) are supposedly 5 months, but they sure look a heck of a lot larger. And Sissie is really quite a bit smaller, as you can see in the photo below. This is Bertha. She's the ruler of the roost and she's a piggy girl. She chases everyone away from the food and water. She's also the smartest - she knows how to put herself to bed and I have to still chase down the others. This is my newest girl, Sissie. She's smaller and scared all the time. This is Penny, my Speckled Sussix. I love her so much! She comes when I make peeping sounds and will let me pet her. But she's mean as heck to poor little Sissie! How early do you let your girls out of the coop in the morning? How late do you put them in? Will keeping them in longer encourage them to lay?
I work a weird schedule, as does my husband, so i come home, make sure my dogs have done their thing, bring dogs in to eat and chill, let chickens out. They are in temporary housing right now until nes coop is built. I leav the door open, because i get some that mill around to lay and some that will free range a little while then head back for morning business. As far as the meanness...whenever we have brought new birds in we have 3-4 days of meanness. One thing i try to do is walk behind the new ones up to the feeders and waters with arms out. I know my incharge hens wont mess with new one while i do that so in gives the, a chance to eat. They still have to take their licks, but it gives them some extra confidence.