my chickens story

[chickenluver10]

well, i keep getting the pop up for introducing myself, and don't know if i did it properly in my post "lethargic, purple comb, very sick chicken." so i have 3 white leghorns, 3 golden laced wyandottes, 1 americauna, 1 rhode island red, 1 buff orpington, and 1 i don't know what. she is new, and black. anyways, i live in illinois, yall might know that if you have read my last post, and the chickens get along fairly well, except for this: my americauna is horribly mean to my rhode island red. and my rhode island red, whom i thought was the nice one, is now mean to my new black hen. i'm sorry i do not know the breed of her. anyway, the black one is named Merida, and Rhoda is the Rhode island Red. so.... i got Merida a couple of weeks ago, she is supposed to be just starting laying, and Rhoda is one and one half years old. i have no rooster. i don't know how to integrate the two, rhoda is living in a separate coop with a buff orp. merida is alone in another small coop. so if you can answer, that's great, and i was just trying to figure out this introduction stuff.
ps all my chicks are mean to merida but especially rhoda and the americauna, daisy. thanks!

 

[Abriana]

Welcome to BYC!

 

[chickenluver10]

thanks. the thing at the top that says to introduce myself- will that always be there or did i not do it properly?

 

[BarbHicken17]

Welcome to BYC!!! I don't think you did it properly. It can get kinda confusing. I also had no idea what to do, but I figured it out in the end. Best of luck to ya!!

 

[sourland]

@chickenluver10 You need to go to the 'Social' forum and post an introduction in the 'New Member Introduction' section. What you are dealing with is the pecking order. Established flock members pick on smaller/newer birds. If they have enough space, and the new bird is not being physically injured, allow them to work things out.

 

[ChickNanny13]

I side stepped that part, it does take time to figure this site out. However take what you posted (copy) & repost in the Managing Your Flock forum...You'll get more response there. I choose not to deal with intergration, keep my girls (limited to 4 - 6) & replace all when I choose. Anyway from what I've read you need to do a "See but no touch" method.

What's done is you get wire cages/crates to put the new bird in with food & water, the cage in the main coop with the flock. This latest for about a 2 - 4wks (longer the better) or until the flock seems to ignore her.

If you free range, let them (new bird & flock) out at the same time, keep a close eye on them. There will be fights & chest bumping, watch for the all out "gonna kill you" fight. Break it up, hold the aggressor down until it quits struggling. It takes time.

Another thing you could do is when you see them ignoring her in the cage, put her up on the roost with the rest at night when it's DARK. Put the newbie off closer to the mellowist one you have.

I have NEVER tried any of this, therefore COPY & REPOST in the MANAGING YOUR FLOCK forum. Hope you find the help you need.