Neighbor Chicken will not leave

[lverner]

I've just got something in my eye, honest .

Rooting for Little.

I'm not crying, YOU'RE crying! Lol!!

 

[lverner]

Ok here's a new behavior... The big girls are standing by the door of the run, just standing there. Little isn't trying to get in or anything but it's like they are blocking the door? Would they do that? Normally about this time of night they are all in roosting in the run before they head into the coop to roost for the night. Little is on the other side of the door to the run (on the outside of the run) just standing there. Anyone know what this is all about? I swear, this week has been interesting to say the least.....lol!!!!!!

 

[aart]

Would they do that?

Possibly, Yes.

 

[lverner]

Morning update: Last night after everyone went to roost, we put Little on the end of the roost with the big girls then went back down to check in on them about 1/2 hour later. She seemed so happy to be roosting with them lol! This morning got a little stressful for her. The big girls (although not all of them) chased her around, jumped on top of her (but would let her up quickly), chased her into the coop, out of the coop, cornered her, etc. At times she would go into the coop by herself and when things were 'calm' she would come out slowly; but she was coming out on her own and then the squabbles would continue. I think this is a good sign?

We ended up letting her out of the run and put her in the front of the coop with some food and water and out of the elements by herself. It's raining pretty good here this morning and is going to most of the day. My husband checked her over and there's no blood or anything. She seemed perfectly happy to have my husband pick her up (this is a change because she's been pretty skittish around us.

The big girls are agitated to say the least. They are bitching up a storm. Of course, it's change and heaven forbid there's change!

Here are my questions for you chicksperts:
1. Did we mix them too soon?
2. Does what I described to you sound like normal pecking order behavior?
3. Should we try again tonight?
4. Anything else you would suggest?

Thank you!!!

 

[Col1948]

Others may differ but if it was me I would do the same again, put her on the roost when it's dark etc.
When I did that with mine the squabbles did persist for a couple of days but they soon got used to the new comers, as you say there was no blood but a bit of chasing and pecking.
Also the lowest in the pecking order of your original flock may be the one doing most of the chasing and pecking.
The reason is they don't want to lose their place and get lower down the order.

 

[aart]

I think you're doing fine with observing and adjusting,
there's no hard and pat answers when dealing with live animals.

Dimensions and pics of your coop and run might help garner some specific suggestions.
Hard to handle the rainy day limits for sheltered space.

Some of these tips might spark an idea?
Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.

 

[path.otto]

I do differ with the opinion that you should put them on the roost after dark. It may have worked for some, but others have opened the coop to a bloody mess!

Plus, chickens aren't stupid, they don't wake up and think, "Oh, how nice, a new flat mate." They are more likely thinking, "WTH, I've never seen you before and I don't like you!"

Here is a link to the post talking about my experience introducing a single chicken to a "bitchy" flock of hens.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/difficult-introduction-to-flock.1196970/

Good luck!

 

[lverner]

I think you're doing fine with observing and adjusting,
there's no hard and pat answers when dealing with live animals.

Dimensions and pics of your coop and run might help garner some specific suggestions.
Hard to handle the rainy day limits for sheltered space.

Some of these tips might spark an idea?
Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.

I'll get some pics and dimensions tonight and post. Thanks for the other information as well. The only other time we've introduced new birds has been chicks that were finally old enough. But it was 6, not just 1 much smaller bird.

 

[lverner]

I do differ with the opinion that you should put them on the roost after dark. It may have worked for some, but others have opened the coop to a bloody mess!

Plus, chickens aren't stupid, they don't wake up and think, "Oh, how nice, a new flat mate." They are more likely thinking, "WTH, I've never seen you before and I don't like you!"

Here is a link to the post talking about my experience introducing a single chicken to a "bitchy" flock of hens.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/difficult-introduction-to-flock.1196970/

Good luck!

Thanks for the link! Now that I read up on it, I'm wondering if we should have left her in with the big girls for the day. Thing is, she's not fighting back, she just so desperately wants to be a part of the flock that I don't think she cares about being at the bottom of the order. My worry is that she's a third of the size of the smallest big girl we have.

 

[lverner]

For those watching this thread...... When we got home tonight my husband let Little out of the front of the coop then let the big girls out of the run. Little stayed pretty far away from them most of the night. She still followed them around but the gap was bigger than it had been earlier in the week. They all go to the next door neighbor's house to dust bathe (yes, we have cool neighbors and they are cool with it). She followed but went farther; I thought she was hightailing it out of Dodge after the way she got treated this morning! lol! But alas, she returned. She hung around with them, scratched and etc. all night. We are thinking that we'll let her hang out and sleep in the front of the coop at night, let her out in the morning, let them all out together when we get home from work and see how that goes for a bit longer before we try putting her back in the coop/run again. We are going to put a roost in the coop that's elevated as she can fly higher than the big girls can. That way when she needs to get away, she can fly up there. We'll put some separate food and water in the coop as well.

Still always value any input you may have!