Like puttin socks on a rooster

[Gearmpr]

Hello everyone, I hope this is the right section but I have a question about introducing new flock members. So, I'm from Louisiana and I picked up 5 birds from Missouri to add to my flock, beautiful birds. An Ameraucana/Cochin mix (rooster), maran ameraucana, two bantam Cochin and one welsummer. I've checked them out, treated one for scale mites and now their health seems normal. So I have them with my flock and I was waiting for the pecking order to be finished up, BUT it's been about 2 months now and they're still at it? The rooster has already made new girlfriends, but the others are still getting picked on. The maran olive egger is a little older (about 2 or 3yrs) and she's real standoff-ish, she doesn't even try to get in with the flock like the the 2 bantams. The welsummer just hovers around the flock and flees at the drop of a hat. Any ideas or questions about what's going on? My description is pretty jumbled. Thanks for y'all's help

 

[DeepDishChix]

Hi!
I recently let a new rooster into my friends flock, and the hens are still mean to him and it's been over 1 month. You probably will have to wait. Good luck!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

You didn't say if all these birds were raised together, if they weren't they probably will never be as cohesive as those that were, and chicks integrated easier than adults who are viewed as intruders to be driven out, it will take quite a while before they forget the newer ones don't belong, I would think at least 6 months, usually the rooster will help with integration, but yours doesn't sound like he's helping, unfortunately the older hen will always be a loner, it's best to get birds that are raised together so they all can have friends.

 

[Gearmpr]

I see, and they were all added over time from other flocks. It seems like they're all still stressed about it since I only get about 2 eggs a day out of 10hens, unless it's just around that time that they stop laying for the season. The 5 new ones that I mentioned were all from one flock. I usually get my chickens 2 or 3 at a time from another flock. Someone had mentioned segregating one troublemaker at a time?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Any hens older than a year old will probably stop laying to molt and recover, they will resume sometime after the beginning of the year.

I personally wouldn't separate anyone out unless there is excessive pecking or blood is being drawn, you can't force it, you just have to keep an eye on everyone, eventually everyone will find their places and settle down but in the meantime try to stay out of it.

We always feel sorry for the picked on birds but someone has to be bottom bird, don't crowd and provide places to hide or things to visually break up line of sight, and make sure there are plenty of roosts so everyone can get away from each other.

Stress will cause laying to halt. Good luck.