odd question?

[ChickenCanoe]

They like friends - just not that close.
They live to forage and quickly get bored.

 

[GrammaGryphon]

WOW! I think I know how Greta feels now. Anyway, we went into town this morning and bought the supplies to double the size of the run. It's now a bit over 8x10 foot and 4 foot tall Once we got it set up and the 6 hens in, we gave them a bit of time to discover their new space and we put Greta in. She wasn't going to put up with being beaten up and gave as good as she got. Took her out and put her back in her usual pen. Paprika is fine with the other 6 as long as she has the peepers on so that's not really an issue. When they come off she will either be used to getting along or won't and we'll make other arrangements for her.They all just want Greta at the bottom of the heap and that's that.
As to the egg laying thing- they've been laying like that for a month. It lasts as long as it lasts. I know that.
As to our coop, we've never had a problem with that part of it so I guess they aren't overcrowded in there despite the fact that the coop is smaller than the run.
Anne

 

[fiddlebanshee]

Great to hear! What you can do is divide about 1/3rd of the space you have now off with some chickenwire for Greta so that she can be in there with them but they can't bully her. Eventually they'll get more used to her being there and you may be able to remove the divider. Just an idea.

 

[donrae]

I'm sorry you feel picked on, but I'm glad you stepped up and are doing right by your birds. Hopefully everyone starts doing better.

 

[GrammaGryphon]

I had planned on enlarging, just waiting til we saw IF we needed it. Except for them pecking the feathers off poor Greta they were fine with 6 in the original run. Paprika just didn't want ANYONE in there with her. We tried each chicken by themselves with her and she just went right for them. Didn't seem to be a case of crowding (40sq ft not being eonough room for 2 girls?!?!), she's not going after anyone with the peepers on so all is calm. They are still staying pretty much in one quarter of the new pen or the other. They had been staying in one half or the other. No major wandering around after the first hour
To Fiddlebanshee, we tried putting her in there in the crate but they surround her and peck her thru the bars. I think she's just going to be solo. Which is fine with us and seems to be fine with her.
Anne

 

[mandelyn]

It does take a long time to get a new bird added, average time is about 3 weeks, but it can drag on for months. When you keep her separate, it drags it on indefinitely. If they're pecking through the wire, you can prevent that by lining it with hardware cloth at chicken height.

I've also caged the boss hen while letting the picked on one mingle, sometimes that helps (using a crate in the run). They all have their little personalities, so it can take several different tries to find the right approach for the group you have.

Being crowded complicates it to a whole other level. An outright refusal to mingle.

As always, it will take the birds some time to adjust to the new space. Chickens do take their time in adjusting to new things.

 

[fiddlebanshee]

If you create a space for Greta where she can get away from the peckers but still be in the run, that would solve that problem while still working at integrating her in the flock. Like the previous poster said, it can take weeks for this process to settle. So that's why I suggested putting some chicken wire down 1/3rd of the run, going crosswise where she can go to the end of the run to escape pecking. The idea is that if the other chickens can't get to her they will eventually lose interest in trying to peck her and then they just get used to her being there, and ignore.

But chicken psychology and social fabric is complicated and you know your chickens best. It's just a friendly suggestion to possibly improve the situation.