Mean old hens

Tianychickies

In the Brooder
9 Years
Oct 27, 2010
10
0
22
I have a barely established flock of barred rocks (five) that are about six months old and just started laying and I started adding a few more. I think my rocks are racist or something because they barely blinked an eye at the new barred rock but they have completely ostracized my new ameracaunas. I sold the one that seemed to be the meanest and thought I had solved the problem but I looked in there yesterday and one of the ameracaunas back has been plucked and is scabbing over. I read something about proper flock introduction (which i appearently haven't done correctly) but I'm wondering how to go about it at this point. I need to know how to take care of the wound and what to do from here. I am brand new at this and any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
Whenever we get new birds we put in an enclosure inside the coop. That way the old hens can get to know the new ones but can`t hurt them. We only keep them penned up for about 3 days and then open the cage and the old hens are already used to them being around. Works for us. Good luck.
 
Quote:
yes it will work if u separate them and re introduce in a another few days week even just pen off so old ones can not get at them as there is the pecking order and that is what it is all about which one is the boss so your old hen is really only putting new ones in their place but unfortunately it can go too far even death as i have learned a few good hard pecks on back of head would daze them and brain damage them to death sorry but it has happened,. good luck:caf
 
Just watch them very carefully. It can be really tough trying to integrate just one hen, they really focus on the one. I have one that lives separately because she was never accepted. I did the whole slow intro thing, wire dog crate in the coop at night, shared fenceline in the run, etc. This went on for several months. The last time she went in with them they nearly killed her so now she lives next to them, within sight and sound but they can't reach her.
 
There are two new hens that I got from the same place so they know eachother. I wired off one of the nesting boxes( I have very spacious nesting boxes) and I will keep the new ones in there at night. I treated their wounds with Blu kote and put them in my garden for the day time. Hopefully this will work. Thanks for the help.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom