New Lady. Just sharing the experience

[kurka0]

Helloo!

I know this is the perfect group of people to share my experience and feelings in chicken matters because you understand!
Normally people look at me like if I where crazy when I talk about them XD.

This is the story: I have a rooster and a hen and I added a new lady to the family. I'm in the phase where I put the girl on the chicken run but I divided the area so they can coexist without touching each other. The old girl is not happy. Not one bit.

The routine is that in the early morning and before they go to sleep I let them out so I use this time to let the new girl wander around the run and coop, then just before they go to sleep I put the new girl in her side and she go to sleep in a roost I prepared for her, but today she decided she wanted to sleep inside the coop. She has been with them since Saturday so I let them be to see what happens and to my surprise, nothing happened! First the rooster got in, all quite. Then the hen got it and nothing happened either. I was so happy!! But... An hour later I heard some noises in the coop and there was a war going on. I took out the old hen and the roo until they chilled out. Then the Rooster go first to the coop and there was peace. The old hen got in and she started to fight not with the new hen but with the rooster!! I took him out so she went after the new girl. I had to took the new girl out and put her in her side and she wasn't happy. She tried to go back to the coop but I couldn't let her (my coop is pretty small)

I'm so sad for the new girl. She wants to be with them. She tries to follow them everywhere

I really hope I can come here in a month with happy updates. In the meantime any advice is very welcome!

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Helloo!

I know this is the perfect group of people to share my experience and feelings in chicken matters because you understand!
Normally people look at me like if I where crazy when I talk about them XD.

This is the story: I have a rooster and a hen and I added a new lady to the family. I'm in the phase where I put the girl on the chicken run but I divided the area so they can coexist without touching each other. The old girl is not happy. Not one bit.

The routine is that in the early morning and before they go to sleep I let them out so I use this time to let the new girl wander around the run and coop, then just before they go to sleep I put the new girl in her side and she go to sleep in a roost I prepared for her, but today she decided she wanted to sleep inside the coop. She has been with them since Saturday so I let them be to see what happens and to my surprise, nothing happened! First the rooster got in, all quite. Then the hen got it and nothing happened either. I was so happy!! But... An hour later I heard some noises in the coop and there was a war going on. I took out the old hen and the roo until they chilled out. Then the Rooster go first to the coop and there was peace. The old hen got in and she started to fight not with the new hen but with the rooster!! I took him out so she went after the new girl. I had to took the new girl out and put her in her side and she wasn't happy. She tried to go back to the coop but I couldn't let her (my coop is pretty small)

I'm so sad for the new girl. She wants to be with them. She tries to follow them everywhere

I really hope I can come here in a month with happy updates. In the meantime any advice is very welcome!

I hope so too!

 

[feathermaid]

Aww, pecking order issues happen even in very small flocks. Roosters are usually pretty willing and eager to accept new girls, but hens are never too happy about new girls coming around. Your new pullet has probably accepted her place at the bottom and is ready to move in, but your old boss lady is not finished expressing her authority and displeasure. This integration could take another couple weeks yet.

How big is your coop? Was your original intention to have them all live together in the small coop, or build a bigger one? Usually free range time all together helps the integration process because there's more space for the newbie to run away and the top hen just gets tired of chasing. It can also help to add some additional perches or obstacles for the newbie to hide behind. Some people even wait til after dark and just place the new bird on the roost with the others. Most chickens won't think of moving if they can't see.
Here's an article that may offer more helpful tips:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/introducing-a-single-hen-to-an-existing-flock.71997/

I hope they can all learn to become friends soon. Good luck!

 

[Acre4Me]

Very pretty chickens!

Might need to continue some intervention, and read up on some of the links others provided. However, it just takes some time. The fact that the squabble didn't immediately happen might be good news... your older hen is probably not a bully, but might have been putting the new one in her place because one toe was out of line on the roost, or some minor chicken infraction. But, I'd try the coop again in another day or two with daytime integration time.

 

[kurka0]

Sorry for not answering sooner. It's been a very stressful week. First, the old lady got intoxicated, I have no idea with what but I almost lost her. She did a speedy recovery fortunately, but... I'm angry as hell with her.

While she was sick, I put the rooster in the new lady's side. Those two are already friends. Now that the old lady is fine, I returned the rooster to her side.

At some point during the day, the new lady crossed to the old lady's side and they almost killed her, I found her behind a big feeder I have, not moving at all with blood all over her head and face. She has two holes in her head. I cleaned her with saline solution and put neobol in her wounds. She is eating and drinking, I think that's a good sign.

I'm so heartbroken, she is such a sweet girl ='(

 

[Acre4Me]

Well, it is good you are able to help her and that she is eating and drinking. Keep them separate (but within sight). Do you think it was the old lady that did this to her on her own? Or do you think the male also joined in?

Integrating only one hen can be really hard to do because they don't have any allies, and they get all the attention - usually in a negative way.

Are you able to get any other females? Maybe you can get the new girl to bond with another new girl, then integrate both with the old lady.

 

[kurka0]

I'm pretty sure the rooster joined. The last time I let them "free range" the backyard, thinking it is big enough to be safe for Mollie (new lady), everytime Lulú (old lady) ran to attack her, the rooster joined and mate her while Lulú pecked her head and then the chance continued, that was the moment when I stopped them.

When I added Lulú, there was another hen and this same rooster. That hen made it clear to Lulú that she was the boss. The confrontations were strong but there was never blood. Naively I thought that this time it would be something similar.

I would love to add another hen but I don't have much space left.

 

[Acre4Me]

I'm pretty sure the rooster joined. The last time I let them "free range" the backyard, thinking it is big enough to be safe for Mollie (new lady), everytime Lulú (old lady) ran to attack her, the rooster joined and mate her while Lulú pecked her head and then the chance continued, that was the moment when I stopped them.

When I added Lulú, there was another hen and this same rooster. That hen made it clear to Lulú that she was the boss. The confrontations were strong but there was never blood. Naively I thought that this time it would be something similar.

Oh NO! You may need to think about the two girls. Keeping both may not work. Pecking order stuff happens, but if they are out to flog and kill the odd one out, that is no good. You can continue to try see/ no-touch approach but if they can get to each other (like today) may still not work. Would you re-home one of the girls? Would you re-home both girls and then get 2 or 3 girls the same age at the same time (which should result is much less issues)?

 

[kurka0]

What I do not understand is why the rooster gets along with the new one when the old one is not present