Miserable day introducing chickens

[mistylady]

Today was the day to put all the hens in the coop. It was horrible. I took them down to the coop one at a time and put them on the roost while my husband kept them company and petted them. The third one in the coop was the first to be beaten up. She has blood on her beak and out one nostril and her foot is bloody. She was boss of her little cage but she is on the bottom rung of the ladder now. After the fifth hen was in and I turned to go out the door and the beat up chicken flew up and landed on my shoulder and huddled. While calming her down I leaned down a little in case she fell. Another took advantage of my hieght and landed on top of my head. She had poop on her feet and it got all over my hair. I yelled for hubby who had gone outside to tend his painiting. He came and rescued me. Ih ad hubby bring down some bread (their favorite treat) and I tossed it out on the floor. They fought over it. I kept tossing more and more and they finally started eating. After all 9 hens were in the coop the real battles began. they chased each other and one pinned another down and ripped her comb. I finally gave up and just shut the door. I could hear them thumping around. Tomorrow they will get to go out on the run. Today we had a time problem.

When the next ones go in the coop in a couple of months I don't know what to do different but it was WWIII in that coop. It was horrible.
And to make the day really bad: the place we get coal to heat with no longer sells coal. And the person that was supposed to come get the extra babies didn't show up. Now hubby wants to just kill them. The day has been so rotten. SOmeone please say it will get better......

 

[nhnanna]

:aww Things will be better tomorrow. I know how you feel. I lost a 2 week old pup this morning. Had to put it down. I just keep telling myself we did the right thing but it doesn't make it any easier. Hang in there and just do the best you can.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

Did you give them two weeks in a cage in the hen house first? Are you introducing new hens to older hens...what is their sizes? If they did not have the fenced in time in the same house as the others then I would take them out right away. They may kill them. They need time to get used to seeing them. It's hard enough on the poor things when you introduce them after a two week fenced quarantine but to just throw them in there is not a good idea. If the one is bleeding they will kill it if left in there.

 

[Koopin]

Sorry.

 

[mistylady]

nhnanna (((hugs))) I am so sorry about your pup hon.

The hens have been in cages right by each other since they were taken out of the brooder. They're all the same age (hatched in May). I checked on Broody (the hen that was hurt) and they were sitting together with no one pecking. The blood is dried up. No one has any fresh injuries. I'll check them again in a while.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

wow that is very strange that they would attack like that. I'm glad that there is no fresh wounds. It sure does help that they are all the same size. Good luck! I hope things work out. I'm going through my trouble here trying to add younger ones and find myself sitting in the run all day with a "get outta here" stick in hand! They are nothing but big meanies! Slowly getting better after a weeks worth of time being together.

 

[pixiechic]

Aw...sorry you had such a rough time. Tomorrow's gotta be better!

 

[SpottedCrow]

they can fight like Mike Tyson and Muhammed Ali...it can be a very scary thing...sorta like being a teenager in a new town going to a new high school...Heck on wheels.
Penny was thumped by Obelisk, alot!!! She was always low girl even before she came here...but I made it up with lots of extra treats and lovins...

 

[debilorrah]

If you did have them close to the older ones for awhile I would say that is strange behavior.

 

[mistylady]

Everyone is okay this morning! I went in and gave them a treat and they fought a bit to see who would get petted but they calmed down and let me look at them all. No new blood! This afternoon I'll let them out on the run for the first time. I got all the construction junk off it last night.

Thank you for the comments everyone.