New to BYC and have thanks and questions

[Boerne Bell]

Hi, I'm Boerne Bell and I had a problem with one of my 10 week old chicks. I found her a week ago hopping around on one foot and holding her right foot up in the air. I picked her up and moved her back to the brooder where she couldn't be hurt more by the other 5 hens and a rooster. I searched on the internet and found a BYC member that had experienced the same thing. She told what she did and I followed her directions and now my hen is walking around perfectly so thanks for the info. But after a week and a half away from the other hens and rooster we put her back with them and the Rooster tried to attack her and my husband saw the rooster try to kick her in the leg!!! I don't know if that's how she got hurt or not but we quickly separated them and our chick was not hurt. I watched them for a while and the rooster kept coming back toward her and I chased him away. The other hens were cold to her return and a couple tried to peck her and I waved them away. After an hour of this I decided not to leave her with them for the night so I put her back in her brooder.

I put her out last evening for the second time and again the rooster came after her and I waved him away. Another hen came up and pecked her and she pecked back and that was the end of that so I didn't interfere. For over an hour we watched them and decided to let the hens go back in the coop and since it was time for bed they all went up to roost. I let her go with them because I could see she could handle herself with them. I closed the hens in the roosting area and then let the rooster into the ground level of the coop. This morning I went out and let the rooster out of the coop and then opened the door for the hens to come down so they were still separated. I am leaving him out of the coop for today and will allow them together tonight for about an hour to see what happens. I don't want her hurt again but I would like them all together again.

My question is has anyone else found that it was difficult putting a chicken back with a small flock with this type of agression from the rooster after being separated? I would love any help you could give me. We have all buff-orpington chickens which I thought would be more docile.

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Hi

Glad you could join the flock! I'm pleased to hear you found BYC so helpful and that you got your girl well again. Getting them all back together sure can take a bit of time and often pecking order scuffles will happen. Here is a great article on how you could them reacquainted ~ https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/introducing-new-chickens-using-the-see-but-don-t-touch-method

Good luck with them getting them altogether again and enjoy your time here on BYC

 

[aart]

My question is has anyone else found that it was difficult putting a chicken back with a small flock with this type of agression from the rooster after being separated? I would love any help you could give me. We have all buff-orpington chickens which I thought would be more docile.

Welcome to BYC!

Yes, returning a bird to the flock can be difficult.....
.....it doesn't take very long for the flock to 'forget' a member, so when you put them back in they are a 'stranger'.
Sounds like you've found a good way to ease her back in.

Is the 'rooster' the only bird giving her much trouble?
Are all your birds 10 weeks old?
BTW...it's pullet and cockerel before 1 year of age, hen and cock(or rooster) after 1 year of age.
Young cockerels can be a real PITA once they reach sexual maturity...but 10 weeks is pretty young.

 

[chickens really]

Being you keep removing her from the flock she is not part of the flock at all right now...
Your going to have to leave her in and let pecking order take time..The more you interfere, the longer it will take.....The Rooster and hens are not seeing her as a member of their flock...Looks mean, but they are Chickens and know what they are doing...Step back and let it work out on its own...

 

[lazy gardener]

What is the age of the rest of your flock? If they are all mature, and you have this one 10 week old pullet, integration is going to be difficult. If the roo is mature (about a year old or older) his behavior toward a youngster is totally unacceptable. My roo is very gentle with youngsters, and tid bits them regularly, lets them pick little bits off his face. I'd continue keeping the roo separated from her, and if he does not settle down, I'd introduce him to the crock pot. How big (length, width, height) are your coop and run? How many birds? That can make a huge difference. In a small coop, there is no way for the newbie to get far enough away from the aggressors to satisfy behavioral protocol.

 

[Boerne Bell]

Thanks all of you for the info you sent me. All 6 of the pullets are now 13 weeks old as is the cockerel. She is back with the flock and all are doing well. She does well with all of them but I find that she is a loner as well. I will find her by herself at times and then she will run and be with the flock. She has a gallop kind of running that is cute but she is the only one doing it and I'm hoping that it does not have anything to do with the original problem. I read that if you put vitamin B's and electrolytes in the water for all of the flock that it will keep their legs stronger so I'm doing that as preventative measures. I couldn't get over how many people had chickens with a bad leg so I'm just being careful.