I need someone to take a 1.5 year old hen in NM

[jenfred75]

I have 10 chickens - 3 that are from my original flock that are a year and a half old, and 7 newbies. The newbies are 15 weeks old. Back story: I had 6 hens and last fall 3 died. The one that moved up the ranks isn't being nice to my newbies and keeps them from going into the coop at night. I have separated her first for 3 days, then for 5 days, then I tried again for a week. The new ones run from her - she has never drawn blood though. I think she would do better if she was the newbie and put in her place. She is a good layer and has been handled since she was a day old.

She is a Gold Sex Link. She fully molted in December (I know - bad timing) and has just started laying again. I would like to find a good home for her her in Albuquerque or surrounding areas.

I do not want to kill her - I have a backyard flock and I just can't do that. That was not why I got chickens.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I have 10 chickens - 3 that are from my original flock that are a year and a half old, and 7 newbies. The newbies are 15 weeks old. Back story: I had 6 hens and last fall 3 died. The one that moved up the ranks isn't being nice to my newbies and keeps them from going into the coop at night. I have separated her first for 3 days, then for 5 days, then I tried again for a week. The new ones run from her - she has never drawn blood though. I think she would do better if she was the newbie and put in her place. She is a good layer and has been handled since she was a day old.

She is a Gold Sex Link. She fully molted in December (I know - bad timing) and has just started laying again. I would like to find a good home for her her in Albuquerque or surrounding areas.

I do not want to kill her - I have a backyard flock and I just can't do that. That was not why I got chickens.

Sounds like normal pecking order behavior, but if you feel she needs to be re-homed then you may want to post in the buy/trade/sell forums https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/chickens-8-weeks-older.35/

 

[jenfred75]

Sounds like normal pecking order behavior, but if you feel she needs to be re-homed then you may want to post in the buy/trade/sell forums https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/chickens-8-weeks-older.35/

Thank you! It’s been 4 weeks and every evening I go out to the coop the 7 are huddled in a corner in the outside covered yard of their coop. I had taken Meanie out for a few days and I finally had 5 going into the coop and when I added Meanie back, I only had 1 go in and Meanie had perched on the roost she never goes on, but the newbies usually sleep on.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you! It’s been 4 weeks and every evening I go out to the coop the 7 are huddled in a corner in the outside covered yard of their coop. I had taken Meanie out for a few days and I finally had 5 going into the coop and when I added Meanie back, I only had 1 go in and Meanie had perched on the roost she never goes on, but the newbies usually sleep on.

The youngsters are only 15wks and will get braver as they mature.
It can be a challenge, but I would just continue to put the youngsters in the coop.

Sometimes things will eventually settle down. I've never had success in separating a "meanie" they will just pick up where they left off - BUT I have had success in letting them work it out (youngsters maturing and coming into lay).
I have also finally just culled a purely hateful mean hen as well, but she was drawing blood and got to where she would even attack a 8.5+pound rooster - he would flog her when she attacked and she just kept coming back for more (she had to go!) I suppose I should add, that her behavior and actions were not "normal" in my book, so I did perform an informal necropsy on this particular hen - I found that she had cancer of the reproductive system - some of her behavior could have been due to hormonal imbalance (my speculation).

 

[jenfred75]

The youngsters are only 15wks and will get braver as they mature.
It can be a challenge, but I would just continue to put the youngsters in the coop.

Sometimes things will eventually settle down. I've never had success in separating a "meanie" they will just pick up where they left off - BUT I have had success in letting them work it out (youngsters maturing and coming into lay).
I have also finally just culled a purely hateful mean hen as well, but she was drawing blood and got to where she would even attack a 8.5+pound rooster - he would flog her when she attacked and she just kept coming back for more (she had to go!) I suppose I should add, that her behavior and actions were not "normal" in my book, so I did perform an informal necropsy on this particular hen - I found that she had cancer of the reproductive system - some of her behavior could have been due to hormonal imbalance (my speculation).

Oh wow - that is crazy. This one wasn't mean until we lost 3 of our flock last fall. She got to the point to where she would and sometimes still will attack me with her feet if I am petting on the of the others. I've been dealing with this behavior since the fall. I was afraid she would be horrible to new comers. She isn't awesome, but at least she doesn't draw blood from them. I don't want to cull her (This is my first flock and I don't know if I could handle it), but maybe something is wrong with her. I had lost 3 (2 totally unexpectedly - they were just dead and died within a week of each other). The other one had found and swallowed a screw and he had to put her down.

Thanks for sharing with me. It is just so frustrating!!!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Oh wow - that is crazy. This one wasn't mean until we lost 3 of our flock last fall. She got to the point to where she would and sometimes still will attack me with her feet if I am petting on the of the others. I've been dealing with this behavior since the fall. I was afraid she would be horrible to new comers. She isn't awesome, but at least she doesn't draw blood from them. I don't want to cull her (This is my first flock and I don't know if I could handle it), but maybe something is wrong with her. I had lost 3 (2 totally unexpectedly - they were just dead and died within a week of each other). The other one had found and swallowed a screw and he had to put her down.

Thanks for sharing with me. It is just so frustrating!!!

Is she laying eggs?
Give her some time and see how it goes. The pecking order is not pretty at times, but most of the times things to work out - I usually just observe behavior and don't intervene unless someone is getting hurt. Chickens are quite dramatic as well.

Sorry to hear that you had some losses.

 

[jenfred75]

Is she laying eggs?
Give her some time and see how it goes. The pecking order is not pretty at times, but most of the times things to work out - I usually just observe behavior and don't intervene unless someone is getting hurt. Chickens are quite dramatic as well.

Sorry to hear that you had some losses.

She is sort of laying right now. She had a hard molt in December and just laid her first egg this week since then. I'm just trying to be a good chicken owner, but I am definitely new at this (just over a year), and this is my first integration I've ever done.

 

[Betty Z]

Hi Jen,

I'm new to ABQ and could give your hen a loving home. Please contact me, if you are still seeking housing for her.

I've had to leave my small flock behind when we moved across the country.

Thanks,
Betty

 

[Mrs. K]

I admire your decision to remove her from that flock. Some birds just do not fit with some flocks. Always solve for peace in the flock. After you do so, you will wonder why you waited so long to do so, trying to pound a square peg into a round hole.

Mrs K

 

[suezeaa32]

I have 10 chickens - 3 that are from my original flock that are a year and a half old, and 7 newbies. The newbies are 15 weeks old. Back story: I had 6 hens and last fall 3 died. The one that moved up the ranks isn't being nice to my newbies and keeps them from going into the coop at night. I have separated her first for 3 days, then for 5 days, then I tried again for a week. The new ones run from her - she has never drawn blood though. I think she would do better if she was the newbie and put in her place. She is a good layer and has been handled since she was a day old.

She is a Gold Sex Link. She fully molted in December (I know - bad timing) and has just started laying again. I would like to find a good home for her her in Albuquerque or surrounding areas.

I do not want to kill her - I have a backyard flock and I just can't do that. That was not why I got chickens.

I have heard that if you wait til big hens are sleeping and you place the newbies in the roost they will be better accepted when they all wake up and start the new day. I think you inly have to do this once to get it to work. Feed store lady told me when i had baby chicks to integrate last springtime