New Chicken New Problems

[JudgeChunk]

So I've had this rescued gamefowl named Nugget for some time. Sweet girl good with people.

Recently I rescued a little bantam hen from a seedy little petstore. Had her in a wire birdcage with no flooring, dirty crusty water tray and who knows what for food. No perches. I'm currently treating her for leg mites as well.

Except my older girl is absolutely trying to murder the bantam. This isn't a silly little dominance squabble. She will quite literally try to rip into this small bird. I have them separated but while cleaning my older girl Nugget got close to the bantams makeshift hospital.


I don't expect them to be best buds but will they wvee tolerate wach other? Or is the size difference too great?

 

[Shezadandy]

I don't think it's a size difference thing - if she's intending to do real harm - she absolutely will do her real harm. It seems the smaller the # of birds in the flock, the more pronounced these problems are, because .... well ... that's what they do all day and that becomes the focus. Not suggesting you get more friends for the gamefowl - from what you've said she seems to be doing just fine!!

The kindest thing may be to find a pet home for the bantam. Living with the stress of one animal waiting for the opportunity to get at another in a household is not worth the stress. Also, the bantam (cuttttttttteeeeeeeeeee!!) deserves to have nice friends and be part of an accepting flock. I'm so glad you rescued her! Now she has a real chance at happiness.

 

[JudgeChunk]

I don't think it's a size difference thing - if she's intending to do real harm - she absolutely will do her real harm. It seems the smaller the # of birds in the flock, the more pronounced these problems are, because .... well ... that's what they do all day and that becomes the focus. Not suggesting you get more friends for the gamefowl - from what you've said she seems to be doing just fine!!

The kindest thing may be to find a pet home for the bantam. Living with the stress of one animal waiting for the opportunity to get at another in a household is not worth the stress. Also, the bantam (cuttttttttteeeeeeeeeee!!) deserves to have nice friends and be part of an accepting flock. I'm so glad you rescued her! Now she has a real chance at happiness.

Yeah the original goal was to rehome the gamefowl as well but she's pretty much bonded to me and the dog..that and she seems to just not get along with other chickens.

The bantam I do want to rehome as well. Sad as it is I do realize they are flock animals and keeping her from one is just flat out cruel.

I appreciate the advice and will definitely follow it.

 

[CalBickieMomma]

Hello and lovely girls! And bless you for taking in the little bantam .

I happen to have a game hen (rescued her from my idiot dogs - some people living in the neighborhood (industrial/rural) have lots of game fowl and many are kinda free range/end up in different yards).

Anyway, I ended up putting her in my coop. I’ve since added many chickens to my flock and she is definitely the toughest/meanest bird in there, but she also mostly stays to herself (and is doted upon by her bantam mix husband - it’s adorable, he’s entirely dedicated to her and rarely pays attention to all the other hens unless he’s trying to push them around). The other girls know to stay out of her way.

Anyhoo, my point is she might warm up to her new friend. My hens often try to murder anyone new the first few days they meet. That’s why I’m glad I’ve added sect to my coop/run so I can gradually introduce them.

Just give them time to get used to one another (and it may take awhile, so just be patient!). Hoping it all works out! And here’s a recent picture of my Larke and her Rory (to give you encouragement ).

 

[CalBickieMomma]

Ooops! Saw the other posts that beat me to the punch. Didn‘t realize you were going to try to rehome her. If that’s the case, then there is no need to make the effort to see if you can get them to get along. Either way, good luck!

 

[Shezadandy]

Yeah the original goal was to rehome the gamefowl as well but she's pretty much bonded to me and the dog..that and she seems to just not get along with other chickens.

The bantam I do want to rehome as well. Sad as it is I do realize they are flock animals and keeping her from one is just flat out cruel.

I appreciate the advice and will definitely follow it.

If Nugget has decided your dog is her flock, she might well do just fine never dealing with another chicken, kinda like the "must be an only cat" ... or it could be she came from a line bred for fighting?? I have no experience in the gamefowl realm, but your description of how she went at the bantam brought that to mind. And shame on me if I'm stereotyping based on breed alone.

Either way, I would definitely seek out a friendly home for that super-adorable bantam.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Some birds just do best alone until they find the perfect flock mates. Or in your case, substitute flock mates. I had a Sumatra hen that was just.... mean. She was a bully, even to roosters larger than her. No reason for her to be since she had never had a tough life or been hungry before. She eventually ended up becoming a single penned gal who fought with the ranging flock through the fence because I was sick of fixing combs wattles and feather patches she'd torn.

Have had 2 quail like this two, both females. One I finally got to not try to kill two other hens, the other killed 2 different males that she was paired with. She just lives alone now, where she can see, but not at all touch the other pairs