Need Help

newchicknmomma

In the Brooder
Mar 1, 2021
8
7
11
Los Angeles, CA
Hello, I'm looking for help, and any insight is much appreciated as I am new to this.
A neighborhood chicken escaped her flock/coop and was flying through backyards. We alerted the owner, but they did not seem to care. After the chicken started spending weeks in our backyard and perching in our trees during the nights, we decided to build her a chicken coop and shelter her. It was difficult at first, but she got used to the coop, which is very spacious, and now she's always running after us looking for treats. She looks like a Welsummer, but her eggs are white. However, it's not white around her ears as a brown leghorn, so we're not sure of her breed. After a couple of months, we decided to get another chicken so that she is not alone. Someone gifted us a 1.5-year-old golden laced cochin, and although it's only been a few days, we're not sure if we made a mistake. Molly (our chicken) bullies the new chicken consistently and chases her away from all the food, treats, and water stations we have set up. She makes loud noises all day, attacks and pecks her, and it's a whole ordeal in the evenings when they need to sleep. Tonight, the new chicken kept trying to snuggle next to Molly and wouldn't give up no matter how many times Molly pecked at her - it was heartbreaking. I'm aware of the pecking order, but it seems that Molly doesn't prefer to be around any chickens whatsoever and wants the entire backyard to herself. The new chicken is super sweet, and now she's the one who seems lonely. We want her to explore, socialize, and not be afraid, but we're not sure if Molly's behavior will subside or if it's best to send her back. Molly started flying into another neighbor's backyard, so we clipped her flight feathers today, hoping it would humble her, but unfortunately, it did not. We would never kill her and also don't think anyone else would want to deal with her. Hoping to find a solution!
Thank you in advance!
 
Change and chickens make bad bedfellows. Integrating a new member into a flock, even if it is a flock of one, needs to be handled carefully. Did you quarantine the new comer before introducing them? Is there any possibility of separating the two so they can see each other but not touch? Chickens can be territorial dinosaurs when it comes to sharing with a new chicken.

A large dog crate makes a wonderful integration cage, it would allow your new bird to eat and drink without being bullied, lowering the stress for both birds involved.
 
Change and chickens make bad bedfellows. Integrating a new member into a flock, even if it is a flock of one, needs to be handled carefully. Did you quarantine the new comer before introducing them? Is there any possibility of separating the two so they can see each other but not touch? Chickens can be territorial dinosaurs when it comes to sharing with a new chicken.

A large dog crate makes a wonderful integration cage, it would allow your new bird to eat and drink without being bullied, lowering the stress for both birds involved.
Thank you for the info! How long would you suggest separating them for? Would this be during the day and night? Also, is the older chicken OK to stick to her original routine free-ranging most of the day, or should she also stay in the coop but separated.
 
Thank you for the info! How long would you suggest separating them for? Would this be during the day and night? Also, is the older chicken OK to stick to her original routine free-ranging most of the day, or should she also stay in the coop but separated.
There's two main (and many subcategories of) options when doing the "see but not touch method". One cages the new comer, the other cages the old girl. Having the new hen in the cage is just more practical to someone who has a large flock. The general idea of caging the original hen and letting the other roam the run is that it shakes up the idea of who's territory it is and let's the new bird get settled. In my experience, the new chicken(s) rarely wander far from the caged one since they are uncomfortable in the new space and naturally seek out the comfort of flock mates. Do you have a run or just a coop?

Here's a list of the articles on introducing new flock mates you can read through... the BYC library is packed with great information shared by experts!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threadloom/search?query=Integration&tab=620

ETA: Timelines depend on the birds personalities, sometimes days sometimes weeks. Be sure your not misjudging the establishment of a pecking order for bullying as well.
 
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Could we get a photo of your hen if can? Her mean behavior may be due to breed type. The hen in my pff is a wild jungle fowl descendant, and she is notoriously mean to everyone but her birth sister.
🥰 A warm welcome to BYC!
 
Breed is something to consider, if the OP is living somewhere feral chickens tend to roam. Not something I would have considered, as we have no wild chickens, especially game or jungle types where I'm at. If that's the case, I can't even begin to guess how to integrate those varieties or whether they even flock or not. :confused:
 
Could we get a photo of your hen if can? Her mean behavior may be due to breed type. The hen in my pff is a wild jungle fowl descendant, and she is notoriously mean to everyone but her birth sister.
🥰 A warm welcome to BYC!
Thank you! ☺️
I hope these work! We've been wondering about her breed for some time now since we didn't get her, and also because we're new with chickens!
 

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There's two main (and many subcategories of) options when doing the "see but not touch method". One cages the new comer, the other cages the old girl. Having the new hen in the cage is just more practical to someone who has a large flock. The general idea of caging the original hen and letting the other roam the run is that it shakes up the idea of who's territory it is and let's the new bird get settled. In my experience, the new chicken(s) rarely wander far from the caged one since they are uncomfortable in the new space and naturally seek out the comfort of flock mates. Do you have a run or just a coop?

Here's a list of the articles on introducing new flock mates you can read through... the BYC library is packed with great information shared by experts!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threadloom/search?query=Integration&tab=620

ETA: Timelines depend on the birds personalities, sometimes days sometimes weeks. Be sure your not misjudging the establishment of a pecking order for bullying as well.
I included photos of the coop - I'm honestly not sure if that counts as a run. By 6 am Molly is hollering and wants to be let out so she can forage in the garden and fly over (which now she can't). When we first made the coop, we kept her inside for several days, but she's always unhappy unless the door is open and she knows she can go in and out as she pleases. Not sure if it's her personality or breed (I posted photos in the thread), but since she likes her freedom, we left the new chicken in the coop this morning and let Molly out. It's just the two of them, so the new chicken doesn't have the comfort of other flock members 😞

Thank you for the link! As we read through, we're trying to come up with a solution on how to best separate the two with what we have.
 

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Thank you! ☺️
I hope these work! We've been wondering about her breed for some time now since we didn't get her, and also because we're new with chickens!
She is definitely a feral chicken, but I'm going to guess that she has a mix in her as well. Her body shape is not as defined as it should be, but her comb is identical to one of my jungle fowl, and so is her behavior. If she has a high pitched voice then you can be sure she is a feral hen mix ( they are the only birds in my flock with a high pitched voice,) although I'm already sure due to your photos. Feral chickens can look a bit different depending on location too.
Here is some photos of feral hens off the web for you to compare:⬇️⬇️⬇️
Screenshot 2021-03-02 at 7.04.58 AM.png Screenshot 2021-03-02 at 7.03.43 AM.png Screenshot 2021-03-02 at 7.03.15 AM.png Screenshot 2021-03-02 at 7.02.39 AM.png
Here are two of my feral hens ⬇️⬇️⬇️, I will try to get a photo of them from the front today. (My pics)
I'm thinking she is a mixed breed because of her pink legs and darker coloration. I would place high bets on a Welsummer X feral chicken mix, but she might be pure feral, I'm not too sure.
All in all, her behavior is normal for this breed. I know she may peck her coop mate, but I'm guessing she is secretly happy to have another hen around. Like I had said before - my feral hen will peck anyone who dares get too close, but I know she still loves all her sisters. If you are worried about your new hen feeling lonely, I wold get her a flockmate of a calmer breed to hang out with, especially if your feral hen doesn't come to like your new girl.
You can temporarily separate them, to let them get used to each other through a fence for a few days.
best of luck!

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