It's been 20 years since I raise chickens and back then seemed so simple "they all got along"! I started backup over a week ago and problems already. I had a coop made and a runner. Got a hen and her biddy who was 5 weeks old. It will be 7 wks Thursday. That went well. Then my hunger to get things moving I bought a biddy and she tried to kill the little thing. Had to return her then got a 4 month old pullet. She is so sweet a Brahma. Well needless to say when I put her in the run 7wk old jumped her and started pecking then mom joined in. It is a mess I have to divide the run then open it at dark for the new hen to go up. She don't want to but she does. As long as mom and baby goes up first there is not a big fight up there. I open the door to be sure each on her side of the coup, mom stares at me I stare back and say shush now. All is quite until daybreak. They are down eating but the new hen is getting slower to go down because of the cornering attack they do to her. I hear them in the house and run out to divide them again. This is daily. How long is mama going to want attack the Brahma, she is really bad now. I must say though her son is doing his share of pecking her, and jumping her. Those stares she gives him are something else, he behaves. Mom and baby I thought she was mixed silkie with brahma, or Cochin, but I have no idea anymore. Her baby is her and a Bantam rooster. Pictures of her and him. I think he is a rooster but not sure, calling it a he and don't know. Oh they both have 5 claws (1 claw forks to 2). He has just started getting tail feathers.
Mom appears to be molting. I don't know her age, my daughter bought her i think in the spring. Her other hens picked on her bad. When the baby hatched the others including the rooster tried to kill it, so my daughter set up another coup for them. I just took then in because she wanted to get rid of both of them because the others would attacked them both during free roaming. That made her have to rotate days to let them out of the coup. She purchased her as a egg layer, her winged were also already clipped it was not realized until I got her. I asked my daughter she said they were like that when she got her.
Any suggestions on how to merge all 3. The do sleep together but that is it. I will never get eggs with all that stress.
Mom appears to be molting. I don't know her age, my daughter bought her i think in the spring. Her other hens picked on her bad. When the baby hatched the others including the rooster tried to kill it, so my daughter set up another coup for them. I just took then in because she wanted to get rid of both of them because the others would attacked them both during free roaming. That made her have to rotate days to let them out of the coup. She purchased her as a egg layer, her winged were also already clipped it was not realized until I got her. I asked my daughter she said they were like that when she got her.
Any suggestions on how to merge all 3. The do sleep together but that is it. I will never get eggs with all that stress.
