multiple roosters

[Mrs. K]

It can be upsetting to see birds in a panic. I have gotten new birds many times in the past and they do fine. I am glad you are pro-active and reduced your roosters. What would be very upsetting is getting up to a cockfight, or your poor pullet badly beaten up. Birds can be very mean, especially in a enclosed environment.

If this is your first year with birds, and you get a chance, I would give all the roosters away, especially if you have small children. Roosters take experience in my opinion. People new to chickens often times do not recognize the indicators that a rooster is getting aggressive. Darling roosters can become nightmares seemly overnight. They tend to attack children first, then small women. One needs to be aware of a rooster.

Mrs K

 

[LizzyLou]

Whoo! That makes me feel better! I was feeling guilty like I gave up one of my children. It's so easy to get attached

Next dilemma:
The old flock 2 cockerels and 1 pullet will not accept the new pullets they are so meek they get chased back in the coop and are not allowed to eat with them. I fed them separately but also don't want to encourage this behavior. Also my pullet that was laying regularly stopped when the new ones arrived. Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

[chickens really]

Did you introduce in a look no touch pen? That should of been done for a week or longer....Your pullet stopped laying due to stress...Chickens can not handle stress well at all....She will lay again once the pecking order is established in the flock...The other Pullets might take months to fit in or never...? You might have two sub groups that tolerate each other...

Cheers!

 

[bobbi-j]

"Look but don't touch" introductions can help reduce the pecking order squabbles, but don't necessarily eliminate them. It helps to have some hiding places for them (a pallet or piece of plywood against the run fence, open on both ends so one doesn't get trapped is helpful). Multiple feeding and watering stations are good, too. Free ranging helps. It gives the new ones a chance to show submission by running away. Chicken society isn't all warm and fuzzy. They don't see new bird as new "friends" to play with. They see them as a threat to their food, water and the ever-important roosting spot. I believe Aart has links to integration in their signature line. Check those out. I agree with CR that your pullet likely stopped laying due to stress and will likely start back up after things settle down. Did you ever say how big your cool and run are (in feet by feet)?

ETA - what you are seeing is typical behavior. It can be disturbing, but as long as no blood is being drawn, let them work it out.

 

[LizzyLou]

The coop is 2 level 4×3 ft with 3 open and close doors the main entrance leads to an enclosed 12×12 fenced area for free range without worry about predictors and they are given free range of the yard with supervision. They have roosting areas that they like I introduced more feeding posts witch help a lot I will be working on hiding places next.
Good news the pullet laid an egg and so did one of the new pullets and even though they are clearly not friends they are taking turns keeping them warm. Possibly baby chicks?

Thanks for the advice and info this helps me so much I'm pretty new at this.

 

[aart]

The coop is 2 level 4×3 ft with 3 open and close doors the main entrance leads to an enclosed 12×12 fenced area for free range without worry about predictors and they are given free range of the yard with supervision. They have roosting areas that they like I introduced more feeding posts witch help a lot I will be working on hiding places next.
Good news the pullet laid an egg and so did one of the new pullets and even though they are clearly not friends they are taking turns keeping them warm. Possibly baby chicks?

Thanks for the advice and info this helps me so much I'm pretty new at this.

Ummmm....keeping them warm?
If they are sitting on the eggs day and night.... they might be broody and want to hatch those eggs.
But I doubt it.....with a 3x4 coop you don't have room for more birds, gather the eggs every night.
Can you post a pic of your coop so we can see the 'two levels'?

 

[Teila]

Hey LizzyLou

I am sorry that 3 of your 4 babies turned out to be boys and that you had to rehome two of them.

Please do not take this the wrong way but as you are still in the process of integrating newbies etc, now is probably not a good time to be thinking of baby chicks also. Broody mums and little ones can sometimes throw the flock out of routine and cause some stress and havoc for both them and you.

I would give the flock and yourself time to settle and get into a routine, established pecking order etc and may be hold off on any hatching until this has happened.

 

[LizzyLou]

 

[LizzyLou]

Not sure if this is a good pic but there are 3 nesting areas but they seem to be sharing only one.
Teila not taken the wrong way I can use all the advise I am a newbie at chickens myself.

 

[Mrs. K]

Change upsets chickens but only for a couple of days. They show it by a glitch in the laying, but they will all start laying quickly again.

A couple of pieces of advice, take what you want:

It is very common for a 8-12 birds to use only one or two nests. You are short of space, so I would pull out two of the nests, or that long nest. I do like how you have your roosts set up. 3-4 hens could fit in there, but in that small of space, I would not keep any of the roosters. Roosters in small spaces can cause a lot of problems.

As for the new hens, it is a good sign that at least one of the new hens is laying. A laying hen is higher in social order than a pullet. Once they all start laying, they will probably all get along. I don't think you have a broody hen, they are all very young, and it is a rather unusual time of year. I am not saying it can't happen, I just don't think it is. I think you having a bird hang out in the nest due to space issues. They are in a hideout, until someone comes in and wants to lay there. Then they are forced out. They are using the nest as a hide out, give them some in the run.

Look at your run. Often times they are just an open rectangle. Put up some roosts in there, add some hideouts and blind spots. Just lean a piece of plywood or a pallet up against a wall. Put a pallet up on blocks so that birds can get on top of it or under it. This allows birds to get away from each other. Make sure that each hide out has two escapes so that a bird cannot get trapped. Set up a small piece of plywood in the middle of the run, and place a feed bowl behind, so that a bird can eat there out of sight of the others at another feed bowl. A full crop gives birds confidence to work on social issues.

When birds meet or come together say at feed bowl. The higher pecking order bird will peck at the lower bird. The lower bird will move away, acknowledging the social order, often times moving out of sight for just a moment. I have seen them do that, and seconds later come back out and eat beside the higher bird. In an open run, there is no way to get away from the higher bird. So it appears that the lower bird is challenging the social order, the higher bird must continually attack to establish the higher position. It can get ugly.

This is a fun hobby, but you have to accept that chicken society is a pecking order society. They will NOT just be nice. They need enough space, food and clean water. Then they will be happy and give you eggs and it will be a pleasant hobby. Too little space, too many roosters, can lead to ugly and even dangerous behavior.

Mrs K