Introducing newbies...ugh!!!

[honeydoll]

Ok, I bought 4 new chickens, two Penedesencas, one Hew Hampshire Red and one Americauna. Well, my NH Red and my Ameracauna were added to the flock yesterday, the others are not out of quaranteen yet. Well, already a fight, drew blood on one of the new hens. Not a serious injury, they made it thru the night with no more injuries. Is this just part of it, I had them in a carrier so they could see each other, but my comets are unwelcoming little brats. Is this just establishing pecking order? How long will it take?

Carolyn

 

[Judy]

Yes, and until they get things established. Not to be a smartie, but it's just how it is. You may have already seen the worst of it.

Good luck.

 

[elmo]

Be careful with the injured hen. Bloody spots tend to attract unwanted attention from the other chickens. Got any Blu-kote?

 

[amydurose]

I dont know the answer to your question but i introduced 2 new hens to my flock yesterday and Im in the same boat as you. My rooster was less than welcoming.. his neck feathers stood on end like something out of jurassic park and the rest of the hens looked like ninja chickens as my son called them. Feet kicking the lot. Even my 10 week old baby got a little cocky and had a go... (With mum stood behind as backup obviously )

I moved the new ones back inside the house til bed time and sneaked them in the coop when the girls were sleeping. This morning there were a few minor scuffles but nothing like yesterdays blood bath.

Hopefully things will settle down with your girls

 

[honeydoll]

I need to get blue kote. But nothing else has happened yet. So maybe the worst in over, but my two new hens won't come down off of the high roost, we have a waterer hanging up there and a feeder so they are fine that way, constant suply of both for them this way. So far so good, I just worry when they come down. Man, my comets are mean little boogers to other chickens, gentle to us but they hate other chickens. Anyone elses comets like this?

 

[firsthouse_mp]

I have no comets but my lowest on my pecking order has been relentless in going after my 3 newbies. It has been two weeks of looking from the other side of the fence and a week of foraging together, but when they gather at dusk in the run, there's still a lot of needless pecking. My newbies have been huddled in the corner for almost three days. During the day, they relax and eat and slept in the sun I think to recharge their bodies--they have had to be hyper-vigilent. But I must say, there hasn't been blood and the ruckus has been at a lower level. Besides the one meany, the others are now ignoring the whole situation which means they have accepted the order. Now if only I can get my one EE to calm down and accept them!

 

[honeydoll]

I have noticed EEs tend to be a little harder to calm down about things. So my comet and the new NH REd, got into it and my one comet drug her by her comb just a little. Good things this NH Red is bigger than her. Hoping things calm down soon, naughty little things.

I have had a problem with my comets being very unwelcoming, unless the chicken is meaner than them they are relentless.

Carolyn

 

[elmo]

Quote:
Yes, that makes perfect sense. She's making sure they don't get an ideas about surpassing her in the pecking order. I notice the scuffles in my flock always seem to be between chickens who are close to each other in pecking order. No. 2 vs. No. 3, No. 7 vs. No. 8, etc.

 

[MareeZoCool]

My two girls have been together more than 6 months, and the roo still has to break up their occasional squables by getting between them every once in a while. It's funny, how they act like scolded school children.