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Madame_Mermicorn said:
Oh wow! That's an amazing set up you have there! I have a new shed arriving on the 10th of December, to set the new chicks up in with an attatched run with a catflap to get from shed to run this will be on the 'big girl's' side of the garden.

I believe Dotty is the perpatrator (with her twin bestie Hetty mimicking her bad behaviour) my partner saw an altercation over the feeding pot on Saturday where Meryl pushed in Dotty's way, Dotty squwaked at Meryl. Hetty and Dotty both chased her. The following day (Sunday) many of Meryls bum feathers were flying round the garden but none of us saw the crime. This morning, most of Meryls tail feathers are gone too.

Poor Meryl who is normally a very bolchy character and loves to be picked up and cuddled is now timid and shamed and ran away from me this morning and is very tense.

I currently have 2 nesting/roost boxes, and they've all recently moved from the larger one, back into the smaller one. All of them are currently trying to squeeze in to the smaller space, which they can do, but with less ease than the slightly larger one.

Might it be possible that this could be the underlying issue. I am planning to get a whole new, larger nesting/roosting box once I've sorted out the little chicks new shed. As the roosters will eventually have the shed to themselves and be fenced off out of view of the girls when they reach fertile age.

So when the little ones merge fully with the big girls, I was planning on getting an old child's play house sized nesting/roasting area so they will all fit happily.

I'm hoping to iron the friction out wih the big girls or it simmer down soon. Before my little chicks rock the hierarchy again.
Click to expand...
I've heard of nesting boxes, but never heard of roosting boxes.
Did you mean roosting poles/bars?
Roosting poles for sleeping need to be higher than the egg boxes or they will sleep in the nests and get poo all over the eggs. plus cleaning poo out of nests is a pain in the vent.
:hugs:pop
 
Well, where are you located? It's fall here, and molting season, time for feathers to fall out naturally. Each bird experiences their molt differently, so your one bird could just be molting before the others. And a lot of chickens in their first or second year only experience a partial molt.
jewel.jpg j-molt2.jpg
My normally beautiful EE and her worst molt ever a couple weeks ago!

Pecking order differences and some squabbling are completely normal amongst a healthy flock. Birds at the top of the order are just asserting their leadership. Unless you're absolutely sure that one of your birds is intentionally feather-picking and it's becoming an obsession, or there's blood being drawn, I don't think you have anything to worry about, truly! My biggest concern would be integrating ASAP.

Do you plan on keeping them separate? Unless you need separate pens for breeding purposes or for a broody hatching her own clutch, it really is much easier to manage your birds as one large flock all together. You may be stressing for no reason and creating more problems for yourself. Chickens are flock animals and will sort it all out themselves. You may find that one of your roos will turn out to be an excellent flock protector and also show the ladies where to find the best snacks.
Madame_Mermicorn said:
I currently have 2 nesting/roost boxes, and they've all recently moved from the larger one, back into the smaller one. All of them are currently trying to squeeze in to the smaller space, which they can do, but with less ease than the slightly larger one. Might it be possible that this could be the underlying issue.
Click to expand...
Yes, quite possibly...
It sounds like you might have too many houses for them to choose from, that can get really confusing for them, especially if you plan on adding another one and moving them again later. One big house for all the birds would make them happiest. They naturally want to follow their leader and go where the leader goes, even though they don't necessarily hang out shoulder to shoulder. If you have 5 older birds and 5 new ones, you need ONE coop big enough to hold 10 birds with at least 10-15 feet of linear roost space (bars) for them to sleep on. You would be fine with only 2 or 3 nest boxes to lay eggs in.

Here's another article that may clarify what I'm talking about:
How Much Room Do Chickens Need
:)
 
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Welcome to Backyard Chickens!:welcome We are glad you joined the flock! BYC is a helpful site providing all of the information you need to know about poultry! There is always space for more members on the BYC roost!:highfive: @FlappyFeathers has already given you some wonderful information on integration. Hope you enjoy it here as much as we all do!
 
FlappyFeathers said:
Well, where are you located? It's fall here, and molting season, time for feathers to fall out naturally. Each bird experiences their molt differently, so your one bird could just be molting before the others. And a lot of chickens in their first or second year only experience a partial molt.
View attachment 1601117 View attachment 1601118
My normally beautiful EE and her worst molt ever a couple weeks ago!

Pecking order differences and some squabbling are completely normal amongst a healthy flock. Birds at the top of the order are just asserting their leadership. Unless you're absolutely sure that one of your birds is intentionally feather-picking and it's becoming an obsession, or there's blood being drawn, I don't think you have anything to worry about, truly! My biggest concern would be integrating ASAP.

Do you plan on keeping them separate? Unless you need separate pens for breeding purposes or for a broody hatching her own clutch, it really is much easier to manage your birds as one large flock all together. You may be stressing for no reason and creating more problems for yourself. Chickens are flock animals and will sort it all out themselves. You may find that one of your roos will turn out to be an excellent flock protector and also show the ladies where to find the best snacks.

Yes, quite possibly...
It sounds like you might have too many houses for them to choose from, that can get really confusing for them, especially if you plan on adding another one and moving them again later. One big house for all the birds would make them happiest. They naturally want to follow their leader and go where the leader goes, even though they don't necessarily hang out shoulder to shoulder. If you have 5 older birds and 5 new ones, you need ONE coop big enough to hold 10 birds with at least 10-15 feet of linear roost space (bars) for them to sleep on. You would be fine with only 2 or 3 nest boxes to lay eggs in.

Here's another article that may clarify what I'm talking about:
How Much Room Do Chickens Need
:)
Click to expand...

Thanks. I'm currently scouting and bidding on sheds on eBay as I will soon need bigger quarters so the 3 little girl chicks can move in with the 5 big hens soon. I've ordered a shed for the little boys and girls that arrives soon. But eventually, the 3 girl chicks will be seperated away from the boys in the coming months and this shed will be just a rooster shed. So I will need one for when the girls become a combined flock.

Things seem to have simmered down. They had a box they all slept in. And a box they all laid/nested in. Dotty just decided she was going to start sleeping in the laying box. Possibly broody. And then all the others followed her. That's when the attacks on Meryl started.

I don't think it's a malt. As it's very raw in the area and only her bum and tail feathers. Nowhere else. It looks plucked and raw rather than patchy and malty.

There had been no more balls of feathers scattered around the garden since though. And for now they seem happy with sensible Hetty having vacated the nesting box that the others are all trying to sleep in. And dotty has started her own nest behind the nest box.

At least there not fighting for now and Meryl seems happy again. Apart from her bare, red bottom.

Hopefully one of the sheds I am bidding on will come good and I can give them all adequate space.

In other news. The hens did a through cage bars intro to the little chicks and there was no drama. They barely batted an eye at the little ones.
 

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