Integrating our new hen - not going well!

[caralouise1974]

Relax, it takes a few days. She probably got used to being alone. And sometimes the bullied becomes a bully when newbie comes in. YOU may have to become the bully. Find a pecking stick and start pecking the offender on the butt LIGHTLY. After a little time they will only need to see the stick to get the message.

Thanks WW - I will try the stick trick. Sadly, we're both at work all day tomorrow and Friday, so we can't be there to adjudicate until the weekend. We're going to mostly have to leave them to it. I have rigged up a little step for Deirdre to get up onto, out of Audrey's reach, and a board across one corner for her to get behind, but aside from that, she's on her own. My one consolation is that they have both been debeaked at some point, so they probably can't do any serious damage to each other (can they?). And a fair fight, one-on-one bullying can't be that dangerous, can it?

Anyway, they have until Sunday - if they can't get along by then, the whole lot are going back. No refunds, no fuss, I will just be glad to have my life and my peace of mind back! (I just got back from my expensive antenatal yoga class, which has been a waste of time because I'm so wound up about these ridiculous chickens that the last thing I can do is peacefully meditate and connect with my baby!)

There has to be more to life than warring hens!

 

[WalkingWolf]

Quote:
There is a lot less problem integrating if you have at least one rooster. Without a rooster to keep order she will have to become the rooster.

 

[caralouise1974]

Yup, we would love that option, but sadly our neighbours would complain to the borough council and we'd have our chickens removed quicker than you could say 'cock a doodle do' if they started getting disturbed by early morning crowing.

Our next door neighbours were already forced to get rid of their chickens for exactly that reason.

It seems we will just have to persevere...

 

[NYREDS]

Sorry, I only understand American chickens. Don't know what to suggest for Brits. :-]
GSTQ

 

[chookchick]

Please don't give up on chickens! Can you just take Diedre back? Though I am concerned that they have been debeaked--might have been a reason for that and I would ask about it. I would also be concerned about leaving them alone, as you could very well come home to a dead or seriously injured chicken. I was soo discouraged when I tried to introduce a new hen, it took a long time, but now they are best buddies (and little do they know--I'm about to introduce some new little ones! Gluttons for punishment we are.

 

[caralouise1974]

Quote:
We'd be worried about taking Deirdre back as that would leave Audrey on her own. Would she not be terribly lonely? We already tried to integrate her with our other two, but she was terribly bullied, hence being in a pen on her own and needing a new friend.

I asked when we got Audrey why she had been debeaked, and was told that all of the hybrids had been bought in from a commercial breeder, and (particularly the Warren hybrids) had originally been destined for battery farms. Hence, they were all automatically debeaked before the lady who sold them to us received them. (She breeds her own show quality buff orps, Australorps, seabrights and many more, but also buys in small quantities of hybrid chicks to sell on as pullets.) So I don't think there's any sinister reason for the debeakings.

Both of the hens seem very docile and ready to accept their position at the bottom of the pecking order (Audrey submitted absolutely to the bigger girls - my buff orp and my bluebelle - and Deirdre has now completely submitted to Audrey) so there's no actual face-off going on. Just a lot of one-sided chasing and pecking.

We are now waiting to see what we will find when we get home from work today - injuries seem unlikely, as Deirdre has a couple of perches available in the run to get away from Audrey, and of course, they're both debeaked. But, we shall see...

 

[caralouise1974]

Update: there's been a reprieve!

Audrey and Deirdre came out of the coop this morning, strutted around a bit, had a bit of a chase, and then walked away from each other! I think an uneasy truce has been called.

Audrey is chasing Deirdre sporadically, pecking her head occasionally anf pretty softly, but mostly ignoring her, so my peace of mind is restored. Especially as there were no injuries when I got home form work yesterday, although they both seemed ruffled, but otherwise none the worse for a day's chasing.

Phew. So it seems were are going to be keeping them after all.

Next task - wait a few weeks and try to integrate the two runs and get all four girls living happily together. What a palaver these hens are eh? Worse than toddlers