Need your suggestions!!!

[beeksnfeet]

Just recently took our former (I think) broody out of THE BOX and went to put her back in the run, when our other Buff attacked her right in front of me. Looked like a cock fight!! Once I was able to seperate them (with the help of my hubby) we put Agnes back in THE BOX and had a heart to heart with Margo, the attacker. Oh yeah, our other Buff, Edith decided to go broody while Agnes was in THE BOX. We then put THE BOX right next to the run so Margo could see Agnes all day. Tonight, I went in & sat on my bucket in the run, held Margo and fed her treats for a bit. I put her down and then Hubby handed me Agnes. All was well. Or so I thought. As soon as I put Agnes down Margo attacked her again!!! Back in THE BOX with Agnes. We put the other broody in with Agnes & they were ok together. Margo sat in my lap for a bit, then wandered the run. Any suggestions? I have to get them back in the same place. I do not have much room to try and house them & I really need to break the other broody hen. Has anyone else experienced this? Was I the cause of the fight by seperating her away from the coop/run?:/

 

[krista74]

I am only new to chickens, and I'm not sure if this is appropriate advice or not, but.....

Is there any chance you could sneak Agnes back onto the roost under the cover of darkness?

I'm just wondering if they all woke up together, it might not be as obvious as "Here's a new chicken! Ta-da!"

Of course, you might have to get up early the following morning to supervise what happens when they all realise you've pulled a shifty one on them!

More experienced chicken owners might have better suggestions - please feel free to correct me everyone! Krista

 

[beeksnfeet]

I am only new to chickens, and I'm not sure if this is appropriate advice or not, but.....

Is there any chance you could sneak Agnes back onto the roost under the cover of darkness?

I'm just wondering if they all woke up together, it might not be as obvious as "Here's a new chicken!  Ta-da!"

Of course, you might have to get up early the following morning to supervise what happens when they all realise you've pulled a shifty one on them!

More experienced chicken owners might have better suggestions - please feel free to correct me everyone!  Krista

At this point I'm just about ready to do anything! Thanks for your thoughts. It sounds like it just might work! Not sure if Margo would notice when I would bring Agnes back tho. She won't sleep in the coop at night on the roost. She insists on sleeping outside on the roost instead.......And yes, I used to sneek in there at night and put her in the coop on the roost. Come to realize she sleeps outside in the run because she likes sleeping there. Always goes back there, every night. It's enclosed really well so no other creatures can get in. I figure I should just leave well enough alone with that issue. Thanks again for your response.

 

[sueandthe6]

I am only new to chickens, and I'm not sure if this is appropriate advice or not, but.....

Is there any chance you could sneak Agnes back onto the roost under the cover of darkness?

I'm just wondering if they all woke up together, it might not be as obvious as "Here's a new chicken! Ta-da!"

Of course, you might have to get up early the following morning to supervise what happens when they all realise you've pulled a shifty one on them!

More experienced chicken owners might have better suggestions - please feel free to correct me everyone! Krista

I am new to chickens as well- but have a friend who suggested the same thing to me when I adopted a little cochin. She said just pop her in overnight and they wont even know the difference. I did and it worked. Now I new to chickens in general and to these guys specifically so I don't know how they would take to a newcomer anyway- but this addition did go off without a hitch doing under the cover of darkness. Sue

 

[beeksnfeet]

Funny thing is, this isn't a new chicken. They were born and raised together, the three of them, so it just seemed odd that one would decide that after 4 days with the other one gone, she would have forgotten her. Hate to creep around in the dark, but like I said, I'm willing to try anything! Thanks.

 

[aart]

If you remove a chicken form the flock, the pecking order changes. So when you put one back in, pecking order needs to be re-established again.
Harder to handle with only 3 chooks.
You might have to just let them duke it out as long as there's no copious amounts of blood drawn, the more room they have to do this the better.

 

[aldarita]

I have the same problem you have. My little Carmelita has gone broody twice this year and it breaks my heart every time she does it because she is at the bottom of the pecking order and when I separate her to put her in the broody breaker cage, and bring her back to the yard, they attack her immediately. I try to separate them when they fight (just this morning I put her back)
She has plenty of room to run and hide and she does. If you have a way to let them out where she can run from the others, it helps. Also if you can distract them with some treats it might help too. This integration doesn't take long but it is stressful for everybody.
I have read that you should let them fight because they are establishing the pecking order and if you interfere you are just prolonging the integration. I just don't have the guts to see them fighting, specially Carmelita because she is little and they gang on her.
My other broodies, I just turn them back in the yard and let them sort it out because they know how to defend themselves and coincidentally the higher they are in the pecking order, the shorter the fights because the others don't attack them much. I guess they know Carmelita won't fight back much so they attack her more.
Distract the others while you put her back and see what happens.
The deal about sneaking them at night when they are roosting only works during the night, once they get out of the coop they realize there is a "new" chicken and they fight her because they don't want to lose their place in the pecking order. It might work for some people but every flock has different dynamics. Yeah, a "new chicken" even if they have been living together since they were one day old, once you separate them even if it is only for few hours, they are "new" to them. CHICKENS, GOT TO LOVE THEM!!!

 

[beeksnfeet]

I have the same problem you have. My little Carmelita has gone broody twice this year and it breaks my heart every time she does it because she is at the bottom of the pecking order and when I separate her to put her in the broody breaker cage, and bring her back to the yard, they attack her immediately. I try to separate them when they fight  (just this morning I put her back)
She has plenty of room to run and hide and she does. If you have a way to let them out where she can run from the others, it helps. Also if you can distract them with some treats it might help too. This integration doesn't take long but it is stressful for everybody.
I have read that you should let them fight because they are establishing the pecking order and if you interfere you are just prolonging the integration. I just don't have the guts to see them fighting, specially Carmelita because she is little and they gang on her. 
My other broodies, I just turn them back in the yard and let them sort it out because they know how to defend themselves and coincidentally the higher they are in the pecking order, the shorter the fights because the others don't attack them much. I guess they know Carmelita won't fight back much so they attack her more.
Distract the others while you put her back and see what happens.
The deal about sneaking them at night when they are roosting only works during the night, once they get out of the coop they realize there is a "new" chicken and they fight her because they don't want to lose their place in the pecking order. It might work for some people but every flock has different dynamics. Yeah, a "new chicken" even if they have been living together since they were one day old, once you separate them even if it is only for few hours, they are "new" to them. CHICKENS, GOT TO LOVE THEM!!!

Today DH built a cage that fits in the run we have. It is a bit of a squeeze for us to fit with this in there, but plenty of room for the girls. So now, we have the BROODY and the UN- BROODY in this other cage in the pen so they are right next to Margo. I feel bad leaving Agnes in there as she is not broody anymore, but feel it is best for them to be right by each other for a few days. Hopefully, Margo will not be as violent with Agnes when we do let her out. Maybe Edith will be UNBROODY by then and I can let the two of them out. Thinking of locking Margo up if she attacks them again. LOL This kind of reminds me when we had to send two of our chickens (which have since gone to the farm........no, really, they went to a REAL FARM), to our version of Cluckatraz. That was an ordeal! Anyway, thanks for your thoughts. It's nice to know you're not the only one going through something!

 

[beeksnfeet]

...

If you remove a chicken form the flock, the pecking order changes. So when you put one back in, pecking order needs to be re-established again.
Harder to handle with only 3 chooks.
You might have to just let them duke it out as long as there's no copious amounts of blood drawn, the more room they have to do this the better.
[/quote

Wonder whats gona happen now since we moved 2 of them! Margo was alone for the night and most of today. I had to get Broody Edith out of the coop, so she spent the night with Agnes in the little BROODY BOX. It's funny to watch them as they get along so well....one is talking most of the day & the other just looks at her, puffs up and sighs! Hopefully they can all get along soon.......Thanks for the reply!]