I will try to make this short and sweet. We have 3 hens, my juvies aren't laying/crowing yet, and the new gals grew up together, so there is an established rank among those 3 already.
We built a big enclosure with lots of different perches, lots of feeders/waterers and a coop with 2 nest boxes. All chickens were introduced into the new enclosure at the same time. This is only day 2 of the flock integration, the hens have settled right in, meanwhile my little roo, who thought he was a tough guy, was put into his place by one of the older gals and now he hides in the nest box when my pullet is in there. Pretty much where ever she is, he is up her butt using her as a chicken shield from the older "alpha" chicken, or hiding behind me while I am in their enclosure. The hens and my pullet get along fine, she stands up for herself even though she's younger.
I expected him to be knocked down lower on the totem pole, I didn't expect him to hide in the nest box all day though... Now I've taken him and put him into another enclosure to make sure that he's eating and drinking, and sure enough he drank down water like he just tracked across a desert and went crazy for the food like he'd never eaten a day in his life.
So my little roo is now a push over and being bullied. I've noticed some neck feathers misseing and his left wing is missing a few feathers as well. What's my best bet? Take him out periodically to make sure he eats? Take Ms. BossyFeathers and stick her in the "time out" enclosure? There is another hen who is Ms. Vice-BossyFeathers and I'm concerned she will assume the position when Ms. BossyFeathers is away.... Should i put both of them in time out? The third hen gets along fine with the juvies, shares feed and everything. Should i take the other 2 out and let her be the Peace Maker?
We built a big enclosure with lots of different perches, lots of feeders/waterers and a coop with 2 nest boxes. All chickens were introduced into the new enclosure at the same time. This is only day 2 of the flock integration, the hens have settled right in, meanwhile my little roo, who thought he was a tough guy, was put into his place by one of the older gals and now he hides in the nest box when my pullet is in there. Pretty much where ever she is, he is up her butt using her as a chicken shield from the older "alpha" chicken, or hiding behind me while I am in their enclosure. The hens and my pullet get along fine, she stands up for herself even though she's younger.
I expected him to be knocked down lower on the totem pole, I didn't expect him to hide in the nest box all day though... Now I've taken him and put him into another enclosure to make sure that he's eating and drinking, and sure enough he drank down water like he just tracked across a desert and went crazy for the food like he'd never eaten a day in his life.
So my little roo is now a push over and being bullied. I've noticed some neck feathers misseing and his left wing is missing a few feathers as well. What's my best bet? Take him out periodically to make sure he eats? Take Ms. BossyFeathers and stick her in the "time out" enclosure? There is another hen who is Ms. Vice-BossyFeathers and I'm concerned she will assume the position when Ms. BossyFeathers is away.... Should i put both of them in time out? The third hen gets along fine with the juvies, shares feed and everything. Should i take the other 2 out and let her be the Peace Maker?