Hi!

[The Cuckoo Nest66]

Hey all, I am from the good ol' Pacific Northwest. I am a stay at home mom of two children, ages 3 and 5. We have two dogs as well, Max and Paisley. We got our first flock of chickens this summer but lost them a month ago to predators. We just brought home a new group of girls and they are so different from the others we had. The new girls seem to be much more aggressive and not as tight-knit like the others. I haven't fully figured out what breed(s) everyone is, but after doing a lot of research it looks like we have a: Buff Orpington, Australorp, Dorking, Dorking/Faverolle mix, ISA Brown, Welsummer, Delaware, Delaware mix (looks just like the other but has feathers on legs), Plymouth Barred Rock, and a light Sussex. They came from a home with over 100 chickens! I can tell my Buff and Austrlorp are at the top, they aren't very nice to anyone. The others are super sweet though and even let the kids pick them up on occasion.
I posted in the Managing Your Flock section in hopes of resolving an issue we're having with bullying, I would appreciate any suggestions or experiences!
Happy to be here, I need people to talk to about chickens

 

[drumstick diva]

So glad you joined us at Backyard Chickens, the pulse beat of the chicken community.

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC. If they came from that large a flock, they are pretty much 'strangers' to one another, and it will take a while for them to work out their social structure. Chicken society can be unpleasant.

 

[BullChick]

I echo that they are just establishing the pecking order.
Are your children tending to the chickens? It’s so nice having eager little ones feed, water, and collect eggs. I’m afraid of even freeze dried worms, so the LO doles them out too!
I hope you find yourself some great new friends here. Good luck with the predators too!

 

[drumstick diva]

BullChick I understand. I wouldn't dole out the worms, even if they were freeze dried and totally dead.

 

[Kiki]

Welcome to BYC!

 

[ValerieJ]

Hi! Welcome to BYC! There is so much to learn about flock protection, and I am also a victim of losing chickens to a predator I did not consider. It's a complicated issue. You can build fort Knox, or you can determine the particular predators in your area and fight against that. We have forums on coop and run building as well as forums on predators. I hope you will explore and find what works for you!! I'm so sorry for your losses!!!

 

[Pork Pie]

Hello and welcome to BYC. I hope that you enjoy your time here.

This is a useful link to take a look at - “How to...” guides. You may wish to consider including your location under your avatar (using the guide in the link above). You can use this link to contact members in your area - U.S. States

Best wishes

Pork Pie

 

[N F C]

Thanks for joining us!

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello there and welcome to BYC!

Moving can be stressful on chickens along with the fact that they come from such a large flock and might not know each other. Hopefully you see peace in your flock soon. Enjoy BYC!