my bantams

[bantamchix]

I have 2 silver sea bright hens and I rooster. I decided to add 4 other hens. The 2 sea bights are not nice. I have tried everything, ive separated them both, I have separated the most aggressive one for long periods of time and nothing is working. It has been 3 weeks and my sea bights who were laying have not had eggs for 2 weeks. What should I do.

 

[chickens really]

First I will answer the loss in egg production....Stress from adding in the new birds...Once things settle down you will get eggs again..Could also be dwindling day light hours? More than likely though it is stress...Chickens can not handle stress...

Did you have the new birds in a look no touch pen for a week or a bit longer? Establishing a new flock takes weeks or months...Pecking order is strong and that will need to be set before any harmony in the flock takes place....If no blood is being shed and its just chasing and a few pecks? It is normal...Chickens know what they are doing..It looks mean to you, but it happens in every flock...
Try a look no touch pen for a week...If that is how it has been? Then step back and only interfere if Blood is being shed...

Good luck

Cheers!

 

[donrae]

I'm sorry you're having problems with everyone getting along.

I have a bunch of questions to get more information, so we can hopefully help you sort this out

what breed are the new hens, and how old are they?

How large is your coop and run? Give in feet please, not "pretty big".

What are the Sebrights doing to the new birds? Is there blood involved, or just a lot of squawking and flapping?

How is the rooster with the new birds?

How old are the Sebrights? Are they molting?

 

[bantamchix]

the coop is 8x5 with a run of 20x15 they are all about the same age around six month except one of the new ones is a little older. The older one is an EE bantam and 2 are rosecolms 1 is an old English. The rooster is a sebright and he is actually not a problem at all. They seem to be doing better. The sebrights are still not laying again yet but the EE has started laying every other day and she was the one they were really picking on.