Lynching??

[ChickyBaby75]

Hello all,

Not quite sure where to begin and I'm feeling a little panicked, I really hope you can guide me..... We have had an estabilished "flock" of four girls that we purchased and raised together last year. (They are golden sexlinks and were handled daily, very sweet if you're a human). This year, we purchased two black sexlinks. My husband wanted to try integrating them once they were 8 weeks or so. This hasn't gone well. I told him to wait until they were as big as the smallest of the established girls. But, he didn't. We stayed outside with them while they were out, but the bigger girls just won't accept them. A week or so ago, one of the two were taken by a predator. Now, it's just the one little girl.

To protect her we put her in a parrot cage inside the run. They can see each other, but they can't hurt her. Unfortunately, they, or she, managed to dig out the bottom and she got out. I heard a commotion and found the four of them holding her down and basically trying to kill her.

She is mostly okay. But, how do you manage bullies when it's the entire flock? Am I now forced with a situation where I have to give her away? I want her safe first and foremost. But, I am very unsure what to do.

 

[Mrs. K]

This is a tough integration, but not impossible. A LOT depends on you set up, how much space you have, AND how that space is set up.

If your run, is an open rectangle whereas all of the birds can see all of the other birds 100% of time - this can be a problem with integration. You need to add clutter, which at first will look like less space, but actually gives birds more space because it uses the vertical space. And when birds can get under or on top of something, that gives them more options. So add pallets - leaned against a wall, up on blocks, add a saw horse, or a roost, add a ladder or old chairs. Set up a mini wall with a scrap of cardboard or plywood - so a bird can step behind it and get out of sight. The more junk the better.

Then add multiple feed stations but set them up so that a bird eating at one station, is out of sight of a bird eating at another one.

Then evaluate your birds. Throw your birds some treat away from them - see who gets there first - (top birds) see who gets there last (lowest birds) pick a bird in the middle. Put a single bird in with the newbie that you are trying to integrate. There will be a dust up, but not a 4 against 1 dust up. One on one, should settle fairly quickly, but leave them together for several days. You can use a squirt gun on the older bird a couple of times, which will break up the fight without separating the birds.

Then go get your top two birds, put them where you have the new one and partner, putting the new one and partner in the remaining flock which if I counted right should be two birds. Now there will be a dust up again, but it is two against two - with hideouts, and obstacle courses in your run, this should settle fairly quickly. Again leave them for several day.

Then close to dark, late in the afternoon, add the last two - now they will be at a slight disadvantage -- but they are more aggressive and should make up for it.

Post some pictures of your set up. It can help others give you advice.

 

[ChickyBaby75]

Thank you for the help! I will try this!