So, I have two little SFH I am working on integrating into my flock of 12 hens.
They have a 2x4 xpen set up in the coop and one in the run. Things were going well until recently the little roo has started to posture whenever one of the ladies stops by for a visit. Granted, the hens most frequently visiting seem to be the ones that want to assert themselves over the newcomers as they are lower on the totempole in their flock, so I get it that they are not just saying friendly hello. But I would feel better if little Westley showed deference instead of challenging them... little Buttercup, the pullet, always just backs away when one of the hens approaches the fence.
Do you think more time in the pen will help them sort this out or will little Westley have to get his fluffy butt kicked
eventually, to learn his place - at least until mature? He hasn't even crowed yet!
They are 11 weeks old today.
Oh, as an aside: I was a bit late transferring the littles from their outside oen to their coop pen last night so they arrived to a dim coop. The roo went right up on their roost, but Buttercup was looking towards the big hens ' roost, and the little rooster on his roost and crouching over and over getting ready to jump for an eternity and then finally jumped up against the fence in the direction of the big roost.... I was amazed that she felt ready to roost with the big girls (and at how blind and oblivious to the fence she was). I quickly grabbed her and put her on her own roost and shut the door so it would be too dark for her to move around!
They have a 2x4 xpen set up in the coop and one in the run. Things were going well until recently the little roo has started to posture whenever one of the ladies stops by for a visit. Granted, the hens most frequently visiting seem to be the ones that want to assert themselves over the newcomers as they are lower on the totempole in their flock, so I get it that they are not just saying friendly hello. But I would feel better if little Westley showed deference instead of challenging them... little Buttercup, the pullet, always just backs away when one of the hens approaches the fence.
Do you think more time in the pen will help them sort this out or will little Westley have to get his fluffy butt kicked
eventually, to learn his place - at least until mature? He hasn't even crowed yet!
They are 11 weeks old today.
Oh, as an aside: I was a bit late transferring the littles from their outside oen to their coop pen last night so they arrived to a dim coop. The roo went right up on their roost, but Buttercup was looking towards the big hens ' roost, and the little rooster on his roost and crouching over and over getting ready to jump for an eternity and then finally jumped up against the fence in the direction of the big roost.... I was amazed that she felt ready to roost with the big girls (and at how blind and oblivious to the fence she was). I quickly grabbed her and put her on her own roost and shut the door so it would be too dark for her to move around!
