My BYC Story:

tcox1963

Chirping
6 Years
Sep 29, 2013
55
1
71
Chapter One

Hi I am Teresa and I am new here. I have 3 rescue chickens. Roxie the barred Rock, Buffy my Orpington, and Rhoda the Rhode Island Red. Rhoda lays every day. Roxie lays 2 or 3 times a week I think and Buffy has layed once since we got her. It could be the other way around but not sure. I have had them for about 2 weeks.

This past Sunday I was given 7 more chickens. No names and learning their breeds. The first day, I got an egg from the new chickens. Today, the two new Orpingtons were already on the roost(4pm) I figured they must have been up there all day. Roxie is tearing feathers out of them. So I kept the 3 original chickens in the corner using a corn husk. It was a sight but I was able to keep them corralled for about an hour and I took the two off the roost. As long as I kept them separated, everyone else ate and drank. When I let Roxie go, they were terrified. I had no choice but to put Roxie in time out for the night. She was very good about. She walked right into the cage. I gave her food and water and she will have to stay there until tomorrow since she cant be good. So tell me, is she going to get better? I know they have to find a pecking order. Rhoda pecked at the others but didnt tear out any feathers.

So no eggs from anyone today since they are all stressed out. My main concern right now is they all eat and get hydrated until they learn to get alone.

Let me know if you have had these problems and what have you done to keep peace amongst the girls.
 
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Hi Teresa, and welcome to BYC!

I've always found it difficult to add new hens to an existing flock, and separate the new ones with chicken wire for awhile. That way they can see each other, and get familiar without anyone getting hurt. Is there any way you can do that for the next few days or so?
 
I wont be able to separate them with chicken wire tonight. I will have to see if my husband can come up with something tomorrow night. I believe its only the one chicken. I can keep her caged for a couple of days and let her out when I am home to keep her calm. Maybe that will teach her who really rules the roost......ME. LOL
 
I've read that it can help to separate the top hen for a few days and this throws the pecking order into some disarray. The top hen is usually the biggest of your original flock. Once the other girls establish a pecking order, which will happen quite quickly, reintroduce the top hen back at night so they wake up together. The most aggressive bird will actually be the hen who was at the bottom of the pecking order of the old flock as she will want to desperately move up in the ranks. It is always better to have more newer birds than old when adding but they may still separate into two groups even when they've learned to get along.
 
I should add that I'm actually doing the same thing right now. My older birds are 20 weeks and I have 9 week old chicks who are in a cage inside the main coop so they can see each other all the time but can't interact. I have to wait until the younger birds are almost the same size before putting them together and then I will let them mix together in a free range situation so that no one bird can be cornered. You have to give a bird somewhere to escape to. Then when the go in the coop together at night they wake up together on the perch and this seems to make them more accepting. It will only be stressful if they have to compete for food or water to have 2 food and water sources so old flock doesn't guard the food. Distracting with lots of scraps spread around also aids in bonding and gets them feeding together. As long as you don't force them to compete the will settle down fine. But I'm still about 3 or 4 weeks away before letting my chicks range as they are still at a size the hawks and eagles like them.
 
Chapter 2

It's been about week and I still have segregation but its getting better. We have 10 chickens. We have let them out to roam over the weekend. The first 3 went in on their own and pretty much stayed around the house all day but the new 7 we had to coral in. Tonight everyone went in. I have a light now that I turn on in the morning so they get enough light. The light was still on tonight and as the sun went down (the same time we have been coaxing them in) they went in on their own. I am very happy.

My cats didn't bother them all day. Tonight one of them stalked the girls but never attacked. He does the same thing to deer in the yard and turkeys. I hope it stays that way.

I still only have two layers from the original girls. Hopefully the light will help the other to start laying. I did give them some chili peppers, which they loved. Not a lot though.

I get the rest of my chickens tomorrow. Chicken Math for sure.
 
Got the rest of my chickens and the old man gave me a present.....5 chicks
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Chapter 2

It's been about week and I still have segregation but its getting better. We have 10 chickens. We have let them out to roam over the weekend. The first 3 went in on their own and pretty much stayed around the house all day but the new 7 we had to coral in. Tonight everyone went in. I have a light now that I turn on in the morning so they get enough light. The light was still on tonight and as the sun went down (the same time we have been coaxing them in) they went in on their own. I am very happy. 

My cats didn't bother them all day. Tonight one of them stalked the girls but never attacked. He does the same thing to deer in the yard and turkeys. I hope it stays that way. 

I still only have two layers from the original girls. Hopefully the light will help the other to start laying. I did give them some chili peppers, which they loved. Not a lot though. 

I get the rest of my chickens tomorrow. Chicken Math for sure. 


IMO it will take about 3 weeks to get all the kinks in their chicken relationships ironed out.

My two hens HATED eachother, and then I saw little random acts of teamwork and kindness (sounds weird but trust me, you'll know when you see it) among them, and then after about 3 weeks they started doing things together. Laying together, dust bathing together, calling eachother for treats, and sleeping next to eachother. You just have to wait. They'll work it out and eventually all be friends.
 
I found an egg on the floor this morning. My new rooster crowed like there was no tomorrow. I love that sound. I called for Roxie and Rhoda and they happily came down from their roost to eat out of my hand. I wont let them out today since I have newbies. Saturday morning I will since I will be home. I am looking forward to getting home from work to see them.

My peepers were all balled up sleeping away. I am sure our Amazon Grey Parrot will start peeping soon and hope to hear him sound like a rooster from far away. LOL The parrot is really good at sounding like a crow from a distance.
 
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Wow 11 eggs. Some small from the young hens but they are pretty! We put up more roosting bars to make everyone happy.
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