maybe a silly question

[HOTONE]

I have a coop with chickens and thats all they know....I have a feather foot cochin who is the only feather footed in the coop. We do have 7 other layners. Can I take my chicken out of the coop and let her run the yard. I tried for a bit but the hens outside are going after her and the rooster are trying to show the manliness to her...not breeding tho. Is it a good to let her freerange since she had been in a coop all her life? I would appreciate any help on this...I dont want her killed by the others. Thank you everyone who responds.

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

Can the hens that free range see the cochin. Have they had through the fence introductions. If they know each other they will have pecking order stuff to figure out if you let them all range together. You could do it with your supervision, and if it gets too rough you could just put the cochin back in its coop. All you can do really is try and observe and jump in if too aggressive.

 

[ChickensRDinos]

I'm a little confused. Do all of the chickens live together in the coop or are you keeping some separate? Are only some getting to go out in the yard?

 

[ChickensRDinos]

Pecking is a normal part of their socializing. They are going to bully her before they accept her and you kind of have to let that play out. I would supervise and make sure that no one draws blood. If there is blood remove her right away and wait until she is healed completely before trying again.

As Turtle said, introducing them first through a fence is a good way to start if that hasn't happened yet. Unfortunately a little violence is a part of their natural social behavior. They just need time to work it out.

 

[HOTONE]

we have quite a few free range chickens who have been yard birds since they are little. The coop that she is in is in the back by the barn. The free rangers dont go back there so she doesnt see the outside chickens. Today i let her out and she didnt know what to do so i put her back into the coop.

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

The outside world is a scary place. The first 2 days I started letting my birds free range, they all stayed withing 10 feet of the door. Each day they would venture farther away. She will get used to it. Try letting her out an hour or two before the sun goes down, then she should go back to the coop on her own and you could close her in for the night. I bet within a week she will be wandering the yard with the rest of them.