Introducing two chickens who hate each other

[Charlenesmom]

Snow (age 1 & 1/2)

Personality: Easily intimidated, Skittish, Loves Snuggles
- Basically she's a big baby

Beautiful Light Brahma, I have one as well.

 

[NanaCarla]

So, I'm in a bit of a predicament. A while back one of my chickens died. I keep all of my chickens as pets so this was very heartbreaking. I adopted two other chickens to keep my other two happy. I separated them through a wire mesh grate in the coop to keep them separated but they could also see each other and get use to one another. This has worked fine for me in the past. I had to kind of rush my plans to introduce them when another of my hens died leaving the other by herself.

However, it appears that Snow and Sunny (one of my chicks) hate each other. This is not normal pecking behavior. They are genuinely afraid of each other and are pecking to kill. This is likely because Sunny grew so fast. She's only a few months old but already larger than the average hen. I assume she's a leghorn, the store that I got her at must have mislabeled her. Sunny is sweet but she looks intimidating which is causing Snow to attack her violently every time I try to introduce them. My last chick, Happy, also must have been mislabeled because she is small enough to be a bantam and I've raised rhode island reds before and she is nowhere near as large as she should be. Also a cause for concern.

I had thought that the wire mesh would have been enough for them to get used to each other...

My problem is timing. It gets very cold around here and if I can't find a way for all three of them to get along before the snow hits they will be in very bad trouble, especially my Snow, who is already so very lonely. If anyone has any suggestions about how to make two chickens who hate each other to the death become friends that would be very nice. Otherwise, I'm in real trouble here.

I had a similar situation several months ago, introducing new hens to my flock. We had to keep them separate for about three weeks. We would try to mix them in once a week, let them fight a few minutes, then separate again. After three weeks of this, we decided to put our new hens in with the older hens during the night, after they had gone on the roost and were nice and calm. The next morning they were still a little combative, but not nearly as much as before. It actually took about three or four months before they all got along, but they were able to coexist. Good luck in your future endeavors

 

[Padfoot22]

Happy (age 4 months)

Personality: Always Happy, Loves to be carried and being up high, Loves Snuggles
- Happy is happy

Happy looks like she might be a Buckeye. I have had 2 and looked like this as pullets.

 

[Stillplaysindirt]

So, I'm in a bit of a predicament. A while back one of my chickens died. I keep all of my chickens as pets so this was very heartbreaking. I adopted two other chickens to keep my other two happy. I separated them through a wire mesh grate in the coop to keep them separated but they could also see each other and get use to one another. This has worked fine for me in the past. I had to kind of rush my plans to introduce them when another of my hens died leaving the other by herself.

However, it appears that Snow and Sunny (one of my chicks) hate each other. This is not normal pecking behavior. They are genuinely afraid of each other and are pecking to kill. This is likely because Sunny grew so fast. She's only a few months old but already larger than the average hen. I assume she's a leghorn, the store that I got her at must have mislabeled her. Sunny is sweet but she looks intimidating which is causing Snow to attack her violently every time I try to introduce them. My last chick, Happy, also must have been mislabeled because she is small enough to be a bantam and I've raised rhode island reds before and she is nowhere near as large as she should be. Also a cause for concern.

I had thought that the wire mesh would have been enough for them to get used to each other...

My problem is timing. It gets very cold around here and if I can't find a way for all three of them to get along before the snow hits they will be in very bad trouble, especially my Snow, who is already so very lonely. If anyone has any suggestions about how to make two chickens who hate each other to the death become friends that would be very nice. Otherwise, I'm in real trouble here.

 

[Cee]

So, I'm in a bit of a predicament. A while back one of my chickens died. I keep all of my chickens as pets so this was very heartbreaking. I adopted two other chickens to keep my other two happy. I separated them through a wire mesh grate in the coop to keep them separated but they could also see each other and get use to one another. This has worked fine for me in the past. I had to kind of rush my plans to introduce them when another of my hens died leaving the other by herself.

However, it appears that Snow and Sunny (one of my chicks) hate each other. This is not normal pecking behavior. They are genuinely afraid of each other and are pecking to kill. This is likely because Sunny grew so fast. She's only a few months old but already larger than the average hen. I assume she's a leghorn, the store that I got her at must have mislabeled her. Sunny is sweet but she looks intimidating which is causing Snow to attack her violently every time I try to introduce them. My last chick, Happy, also must have been mislabeled because she is small enough to be a bantam and I've raised rhode island reds before and she is nowhere near as large as she should be. Also a cause for concern.

I had thought that the wire mesh would have been enough for them to get used to each other...

My problem is timing. It gets very cold around here and if I can't find a way for all three of them to get along before the snow hits they will be in very bad trouble, especially my Snow, who is already so very lonely. If anyone has any suggestions about how to make two chickens who hate each other to the death become friends that would be very nice. Otherwise, I'm in real trouble here.

Pinless Peepers can be very helpful.

 

[Onyxflock]

Pinless Peepers can be very helpful.

What are Pinless peepers anyway? Guess I'll Google them.

 

[Onyxflock]

I've had similar problem adding 2 chicks and a young, just laying pullet to my 2 Brahma hens. The Brahmas went gangster on the pullet - Rosie a RI, Leghorn cross, much smaller than them. I had a fenced area for the chicks & separate house within the big yard, so I let her in with them. It was better, but still they'd peck at her if she got close, and she'd peck at the youngsters. Eventually they got tired of it and now only with food does it happen.
We set up feed & water at opposite ends of the run and it's funny to watch the Brahmas try to run over & hog the food, they end up doing laps.
Like they said, it was on the roost at night that they started to get friendlier.
A full 6 months later finally they will "flock together", but still occasionally fight

 

[Phoenixxx]

That Cornish cross meat bird is a rooster. A note about the Cornish cross: they are hen-feathered, meaning they will not get pointy saddle feathers like most roosters do. Also, you MUST - if you intend to keep him as a pet and not make him Thanksgiving dinner - keep him on a strict diet, the best which is grain-free! I have raised my fair share of Cornish cross meat birds, and trying to keep them alive past twelve weeks is extremely challenging! I have one female right now, her name is "Lotto", that I am keeping for breeding. The only time I give her feed is when I need her out of my way to do chicken-chores, and then it's only a tiny handful. The only other food she gets is what she can forage on her own, and so far, so good, no excess weight (although she's still a "tank" by chicken standards, about 12 pounds ) and no organ failure yet These guys were bred to eat, poop, grow and sleep - their "I'm full" switch has been bred out of them, so if allowed, they will eat until they can no longer stand up, no joke!

 

[Sheriloo3]

Great! I’d love to see it! My girls are all 21 weeks today and I haven’t gotten an egg and not one is squatting so I’m living vicariously through other people’s pullet eggs until mine start coming!




I hadn’t heard of them until joining this site. Apparently if they are put of view of females, many roosters can live together in relative harmony. They will still have a pecking order, but there aren’t mates to fight over so it changes the game. There’s a user in MI (I can’t recall her username) who has a large bachelor flock and takes in lots of re-homed gentlemen. If I could afford to build another coop I quite like the idea. Roosters are so handsome!!

I have at least 10 roos that live together and just added another without an issue. I have 16 silkies that are too young to tell their gender but I'm guessing 50% will be roos. No one fights. I don't have them in a separate enclosure, they all live together, hens and roos. The best thing for a happy flock is space and hen to roo ratio. From what I understand, a 3 to 1 ratio of hens and roos is ideal at minimum a d having space to roam, hide, roost, etc. is all important to a happy community.

All mine are pets and I am avid hatcher, so I have a ton of birds, almost all hatched and raised by me, from eggs. I have a happy flock, roos and all!!

 

[Sheriloo3]

I thought of something else!! Maybe put a little mirror in with Snow. I heard birds like to look at themselves and she may think she has some very good-looking company on her side of the coop!

I have three little chicks in the brooder right now and it's right next to a not-being-used pellet stove. They stand on the brooder plate ALL DAY LONG staring at themselves in the reflection of the glass. Its hilarious!!