*Mean Girls*

[apabbott]

Hello. I have 14 red star hens that are right at 16 weeks old. The truth is I have never noticed who is who in pecking order up until now...when I introduced a little 9 week old BA cockerel. I initially kept him in a separate pen just in case there were underlying health issues. He has been here over 1 week. I have given in and let him out of the pen. The reason being that my hens are only using a chicken tractor with food,water, and the roost (our main coop is in construction phase) and they are allowed out during the day to free range in 1/4 acre. When he was in the pen they would surround him during the day. Some to check him out, but a few to simply harass him. He became nervous and agitated as he was "trapped" while they were free to surround him. I let him out, and there is enough space where he can keep his distance most of the day and be safe.

During this time I have had a hard time getting the hens to trust/socialize with him. I know this is normal. I also know it is best to introduce him at night while sleeping in the coop, but we are beyond that point now.

I have identified three "mean girls" that are top of the pecking order and will NOT leave him alone. When these girls are out, they will chase, harass, bite, stalk and frighten him whenever they get a chance. He can not eat or drink freely when they are out. I have to go out daily and feed him, and even then they flock toward me to stop him. During the day I started separating the three top girls into a separate pen. Wow. What a difference. Within 2 days the other hens calmed down. He became more confident. Everyone would lie together, graze together, and even eat feed together. It was a miracle.

Well, until my main coop is finished it has become nearly impossible to keep them separate because at night they all must go into the tractor to roost. So everyday I have to try and round up the mean girls and start again. As soon as they are out they go right back to torturing him and he loses all confidence immediately. The other hens he will stand up to and watch over. But these girls stir everyone up. Things immediately get tense.

Before he was here all the girls got along fairly well. I never saw squabbles that lasted more than a couple of seconds and the girls knew their place and seemed content.

My thoughts are mixed: Do I continue to try and separate these girls everyday for the next several weeks until my roo gets big enough to take care of it himself? The coop should be finished in a week, so it will be a little easier to do, as I will keep the mean girls in the tractor and all others in the coop. Or do I simply get rid of the three hens causing the trouble. Initially, I separated the three for several days, but because my cockerel isn't confident enough to stand up for himself with these particular girls. That would leave me with 11 girls to 1 roo. But everyone would immediately be less stressed.

Any thoughts? Will this get better?

 

[Mrs. K]

This is more about size and maturity, none of them are mature yet, and he is about half their size? Another 2 months, and things would be different. The question is do you want to mess with this that long? Those hens could kill him.

Flock dynamics are funny things. To have a peaceful flock, either he or the three need to go. You probably could get a fair price on the girls, as point of lay hens. However, don't be surprised if a 'new' leader in the hens steps up to be the new bully. Your rooster is a single bird, much smaller than the others, rather a natural victim.... and none of the birds are mature...... think teen agers.

I think I would let the rooster go, and later, after the hens start laying..... when they are ready for a rooster, I would get a mature one. You can nearly always get a rooster.

Mrs K

 

[apabbott]

Thanks for the reply, Mrs. K. I think you're right; just a few more weeks. I am really attached to the little roo. I know his personality will change greatly as he matures, but as of now he walks under my legs and lets me hold him. He is already scanning and watching and gets along well with the other girls. I think this will all be less stressful when the coop is finished and I can genuinely keep everyone separated at all times. That will be much less work for me. So far, he has not really been injured; just terrified. The problem is that when the big three are out he can't really interact with any of them.