Is this bullying and if so, how do I stop it?

[Parront]

He's a handsome guy! Glad he has a good home. They are all so lovely! Spider is a great name too.

As for the run size, I don't know the dimensions, but my parents used to keep more than I have now in there without problems. I think they had around 15 and I have 6.

For chickens, the more the merrier! They like to have a flock. 15 is a good number for a flock, with 14 hens & 1 rooster.

 

[Parront]

Too many in a small space is a problem, but too few is also a problem. There is a sweet spot, somewhere between 5 and 20! And, personalities matter, too. They are not so different from us. For people, it is not a fun party with only 4 or 5, but 50 is a rage! I have kept parrots, and raised lots of cockatiels. For those birds, 6 birds, 3 pairs, is a lot better than a single bird, or 2 even. I have Dylan, the African Grey in my avatar, and she is an only parrot. She wants my company a LOT! The size of a flock of Greys in the wild is over 200. I would keep more of them, but I can not afford more!

 

[BesideStillWaters]

Nice -- Patriot vs. Jules Vern! A big guy like that could do that damage. A lot of the larger breeds are less "active" than a smaller breed like a Leghorn. But with that size boy, maybe your girl needs a vacation!

Weeeeeeeeeeeell... it was originally Julia Child (I had 13 hatch, a baker's dozen, so I named him after a baker). Until Jules started crowing, then I was like... Jules Verne? I called him Julie until the day I sold him.

I originally wanted to keep the first hatched and last hatched and they were both roosters. It was clear I couldn't keep both, they kept bloodying each other. After seeing how both boys did with the girls, it was clear Jules Verne had to go. He would hop on top of the girls to do his business and not get off, making the girls scream. Patriot is much more gentle with the girls, and he is much... faster. Jules did a lot of this damage, along with Rojo and Nugget, two others I sold earlier on.

Yes, they probably do need a vacation! They are all RIR + SLW mixes (except two, who are a RIR GLW mixes). I didn't realize larger breeds are less active... I'm like good grief, I'd hate to see a smaller breed then, because Patriot, LeeLee and Bae are intense. (Which is why Bae and LeeLee are separated.)

 

[BesideStillWaters]

When parrots do it, it is a sign of boredom. Or they are lonely, people keep parrots alone. Chickens are luckier that way, no one keeps just one chicken.
How much space do they have to roam? I like to give them a lot of straw to scratch in, when they have to stay in and can not go out in the yard, like if it is too much snow. They are busy scratching that way.

Well, Amber IS alone. She's blind, and the only two chickens who didn't try to peck her to death have passed away. I'm hoping to introduce Amber to my new chicks soon and see if they grow up with her, if they will not try to kill her when they get older.

Estimating... about 4-foot by 30-foot yard, and a sizable house. I let them into the yard during the day and if I'm outside, I'll let them out of there and let them free range while I'm nearby. I'll add some straw to their yard tomorrow. They have some in their house.

 

[Parront]

Weeeeeeeeeeeell... it was originally Julia Child (I had 13 hatch, a baker's dozen, so I named him after a baker). Until Jules started crowing, then I was like... Jules Verne? I called him Julie until the day I sold him.

I originally wanted to keep the first hatched and last hatched and they were both roosters. It was clear I couldn't keep both, they kept bloodying each other. After seeing how both boys did with the girls, it was clear Jules Verne had to go. He would hop on top of the girls to do his business and not get off, making the girls scream. Patriot is much more gentle with the girls, and he is much... faster. Jules did a lot of this damage, along with Rojo and Nugget, two others I sold earlier on.

Yes, they probably do need a vacation! They are all RIR + SLW mixes (except two, who are a RIR GLW mixes). I didn't realize larger breeds are less active... I'm like good grief, I'd hate to see a smaller breed then, because Patriot, LeeLee and Bae are intense. (Which is why Bae and LeeLee are separated.)

I had a Leghorn rooster that tried to "do" the cocker spaniel! The dog was terrified of the 3 pound rooster! He was a beautiful Brown Leghorn, and I only had 3 Brown Leghorn hens. I had to let them run the whole yard, we had 1/2 acre, because he over-mated the Buff Orpingtons that were 3 times his size! He beat up the Buff Orpington Rooster, too. They had to be in separate areas -- to protect Mr. Buff!

 

[BesideStillWaters]

For chickens, the more the merrier! They like to have a flock. 15 is a good number for a flock, with 14 hens & 1 rooster.

....if I keep the other two roosters, I'd have to have 60 hens for my 4 roosters?!!! Can I alternate the roosters and let each spend so many days with fewer hens?

 

[BesideStillWaters]

Too many in a small space is a problem, but too few is also a problem. There is a sweet spot, somewhere between 5 and 20! And, personalities matter, too. They are not so different from us. For people, it is not a fun party with only 4 or 5, but 50 is a rage! I have kept parrots, and raised lots of cockatiels. For those birds, 6 birds, 3 pairs, is a lot better than a single bird, or 2 even. I have Dylan, the African Grey in my avatar, and she is an only parrot. She wants my company a LOT! The size of a flock of Greys in the wild is over 200. I would keep more of them, but I can not afford more!

Ooohhh. I see. Well, I hope to have more soon!

200?! Whoa that's a lot of birds.

What a beautiful bird.

 

[Parront]

Well, Amber IS alone. She's blind, and the only two chickens who didn't try to peck her to death have passed away. I'm hoping to introduce Amber to my new chicks soon and see if they grow up with her, if they will not try to kill her when they get older.

Estimating... about 4-foot by 30-foot yard, and a sizable house. I let them into the yard during the day and if I'm outside, I'll let them out of there and let them free range while I'm nearby. I'll add some straw to their yard tomorrow. They have some in their house.

Amber might like to have some chicks. Scratching the straw makes chickens happy, even you blind girl might like some. I bet if your girl got a hen saddle and a vacation, she would recover. I have had Orpingtons that looked worse. They have amazing powers of recovery.

 

[BesideStillWaters]

I had a Leghorn rooster that tried to "do" the cocker spaniel! The dog was terrified of the 3 pound rooster! He was a beautiful Brown Leghorn, and I only had 3 Brown Leghorn hens. I had to let them run the whole yard, we had 1/2 acre, because he over-mated the Buff Orpingtons that were 3 times his size! He beat up the Buff Orpington Rooster, too. They had to be in separate areas -- to protect Mr. Buff!

Wow.

Patriot tried to "do" a wild rabbit the other day. The rabbit wasn't a fan.

That's one spunky rooster to go after hens and roosters so much bigger than him! And a dog!

 

[Parront]

....if I keep the other two roosters, I'd have to have 60 hens for my 4 roosters?!!! Can I alternate the roosters and let each spend so many days with fewer hens?

If you ask those boys, they would say that they want 80 hens for 4 roos! I just make a difficult choice, Randy is the winner, out of 13 males, he is the one I kept. He was the largest, nicest boy at 14 weeks old. Too many boys is bad for the flock. I gave the second best boy and sold 3 Barred Holland hens to my neighbor, so I can get some of his eggs to hatch later.