I've got so many questions! Hopefully I can get some good suggestions as to what to do.
First off I have finally mixed my 2 groups of chickens and things are not going too well.
Group 1 is 3 Japanese Bantams ( 2 Roos & 1 Hen) & RIR. The Bantams are about 5 months old and the RIR is about 3-4 months old.
Group 2 is a New Hampshire X RIR , 2 Barred Rocks & 2 Laced Wyandottes Crosses. These are 2.5 months old.
#1: My biggest problem here is the Barred Rock and the New Hampshire X are beating EVERYONE up (Even the one's they were hatched and raised with). The RIR is the largest yet still get's picked on. She normally runs away unless they are picking on her Bantam boy. The poor Bantams were taking the worst of it . I separated the bullies for about 24 hours. I felt bad for them tonight being in such a small area so I let everyone mingle in our largest run ( 10 X 12) that was totally neutral grounds. (None of them had ever been in that pen before.) Within minutes the bullying started. Tried to let it settle on it's own but after about 30 minutes the 2 of them were grabbing some of the other chickens and really holding on, pulling out feathers and the whole cage was in chaos and running in every direction. To my knowledge everyone in the pen is a pullet except for 2 of the Bantams. I have separated them again and plan to leave them like that for the next 2 weeks. Then reintroducing them once I have moved the Bantams out and introduced the Cochin Roo to the pen . Maybe once he is in their they will not be able to bully anyone. Any other suggestions? Once they are removed everything is calm and everyone goes about normally.
#2: I was not expecting the two Bantam Roo's. I am picking up a smaller Cochin Roo tomorrow who is about 4-5 months old. He was the roo I was planning on getting all along. I am thinking about re-homing one of the Bantam roo's and then putting the Bantam pair together in their own run. But here is an odd part that I don't understand. The RIR is very attached to the Bantam roo I want to re-home. She wont let him leave her site. For the most part he doesn't seem to mind and stay's close to him. She also watches over him. She will actually move him in the direction she wants him to go and he will hide underneath her if anyone tries to bully him. A few times he has gotten out of the run they are in and she goes nuts making a big fuss trying to find a way to get to him. Overall the bantams and the RIR stick together and want no part of the other group. If I remove all the Bantams will she eventually get over her bonding with them and start to mingle with the other group?
#3: Just curious but is their ANY chance that the Japanese Bantam roo and the Cochin roo could co-exist? Maybe not in the same pen but at least be able to free roam on 3 acres at the same time? Or is 6 months of age too old to introduce them? Any suggestions on maybe getting it to work out?
First off I have finally mixed my 2 groups of chickens and things are not going too well.
Group 1 is 3 Japanese Bantams ( 2 Roos & 1 Hen) & RIR. The Bantams are about 5 months old and the RIR is about 3-4 months old.
Group 2 is a New Hampshire X RIR , 2 Barred Rocks & 2 Laced Wyandottes Crosses. These are 2.5 months old.
#1: My biggest problem here is the Barred Rock and the New Hampshire X are beating EVERYONE up (Even the one's they were hatched and raised with). The RIR is the largest yet still get's picked on. She normally runs away unless they are picking on her Bantam boy. The poor Bantams were taking the worst of it . I separated the bullies for about 24 hours. I felt bad for them tonight being in such a small area so I let everyone mingle in our largest run ( 10 X 12) that was totally neutral grounds. (None of them had ever been in that pen before.) Within minutes the bullying started. Tried to let it settle on it's own but after about 30 minutes the 2 of them were grabbing some of the other chickens and really holding on, pulling out feathers and the whole cage was in chaos and running in every direction. To my knowledge everyone in the pen is a pullet except for 2 of the Bantams. I have separated them again and plan to leave them like that for the next 2 weeks. Then reintroducing them once I have moved the Bantams out and introduced the Cochin Roo to the pen . Maybe once he is in their they will not be able to bully anyone. Any other suggestions? Once they are removed everything is calm and everyone goes about normally.
#2: I was not expecting the two Bantam Roo's. I am picking up a smaller Cochin Roo tomorrow who is about 4-5 months old. He was the roo I was planning on getting all along. I am thinking about re-homing one of the Bantam roo's and then putting the Bantam pair together in their own run. But here is an odd part that I don't understand. The RIR is very attached to the Bantam roo I want to re-home. She wont let him leave her site. For the most part he doesn't seem to mind and stay's close to him. She also watches over him. She will actually move him in the direction she wants him to go and he will hide underneath her if anyone tries to bully him. A few times he has gotten out of the run they are in and she goes nuts making a big fuss trying to find a way to get to him. Overall the bantams and the RIR stick together and want no part of the other group. If I remove all the Bantams will she eventually get over her bonding with them and start to mingle with the other group?
#3: Just curious but is their ANY chance that the Japanese Bantam roo and the Cochin roo could co-exist? Maybe not in the same pen but at least be able to free roam on 3 acres at the same time? Or is 6 months of age too old to introduce them? Any suggestions on maybe getting it to work out?
