Bitter Bear
Hatching
- Aug 14, 2017
- 2
- 0
- 7
My second in command has violent tendencies.
When I started my flock I had 4 cute little pullets, one was abducted by aliens, one fell prey to a possum and that left my last two... Mary and Rhoda.
Mary and Rhoda get a long great, they appear to share everything equally and are stuck to each other like glue. I decided recently to grow my flock by three more hens... that's where the trouble started. I got three new babies, 2 4-week olds and a 7-week old. I kept them separate from Mary and Rhoda for about 3 weeks, then put them in a cage in the yard where they could have visual and verbal contact with Mary & Rhoda for about 2 weeks.
Mary is the beta and up until the new arrivals she was a sweetheart. I say Mary is my beta because Rhoda mounts her like a rooster and subtle ques show me that she runs the show.
My chickens are free-ranged in my backyard. I tried introducing them by opening the cage and letting the new gals roam at their own pace. That didn't go well - Mary would force herself into their cage and peck them mercilessly... I scrapped that plan of attack and went with the Sleepy Sneaker approach.
On a quiet night I snuck the three babes into the coop with Mary and Rhoda... all was well until the morning, when I could hear one of the young'ins screaming as Mary had her cornered and was pecking her like a mad-woman.
I knew at that moment I would have to remove Mary from the flock (based on advice I had received)... I put Mary in the babes' old cage for a week. Upon rerelease, she would chase them around the yard attack them. She was free for a day... then back to solitary.
I have been doing this off and on for about 2 months, it's slowly getting better... she is not seeking them out to deliver killing blows... now it's just when they are near her or trying to get into the coop for the night.... She is currently back in solitary.
Is there a way to fix this bloodlust? Mary and Rhoda are currently my only two layers... Rhoda btw hangs tight with the little ones now, but still lays next to the cage with Rhoda during the day... they miss each other... and I am kind of fond of her (even though she's not the woman I thought she was) and would hate to rehome her, but the special care is getting tiring.
Any new advice is much appreciated.
When I started my flock I had 4 cute little pullets, one was abducted by aliens, one fell prey to a possum and that left my last two... Mary and Rhoda.
Mary and Rhoda get a long great, they appear to share everything equally and are stuck to each other like glue. I decided recently to grow my flock by three more hens... that's where the trouble started. I got three new babies, 2 4-week olds and a 7-week old. I kept them separate from Mary and Rhoda for about 3 weeks, then put them in a cage in the yard where they could have visual and verbal contact with Mary & Rhoda for about 2 weeks.
Mary is the beta and up until the new arrivals she was a sweetheart. I say Mary is my beta because Rhoda mounts her like a rooster and subtle ques show me that she runs the show.
My chickens are free-ranged in my backyard. I tried introducing them by opening the cage and letting the new gals roam at their own pace. That didn't go well - Mary would force herself into their cage and peck them mercilessly... I scrapped that plan of attack and went with the Sleepy Sneaker approach.
On a quiet night I snuck the three babes into the coop with Mary and Rhoda... all was well until the morning, when I could hear one of the young'ins screaming as Mary had her cornered and was pecking her like a mad-woman.
I knew at that moment I would have to remove Mary from the flock (based on advice I had received)... I put Mary in the babes' old cage for a week. Upon rerelease, she would chase them around the yard attack them. She was free for a day... then back to solitary.
I have been doing this off and on for about 2 months, it's slowly getting better... she is not seeking them out to deliver killing blows... now it's just when they are near her or trying to get into the coop for the night.... She is currently back in solitary.
Is there a way to fix this bloodlust? Mary and Rhoda are currently my only two layers... Rhoda btw hangs tight with the little ones now, but still lays next to the cage with Rhoda during the day... they miss each other... and I am kind of fond of her (even though she's not the woman I thought she was) and would hate to rehome her, but the special care is getting tiring.
Any new advice is much appreciated.