lindseyawest
Chirping
Hi All,
I've gotten lots of great help from the forums as I've built my coop (below) and got my first batch of pullets. I'm a first time chicken mamma, so please bare with me if these questions show my green-ness.
(Jo's House)
First, I need help with any possible existing pecking order:
I take guesses of pecking order daily, but there's always something to make me doubt or question. Maybe they haven't established PO yet since it's only been a week? Here's my little flock:
They were supposed to all be 15 week pullets. We're pretty sure the BR is actually an 8-10 week cockerel and then the PR/NH and BA are about 3 month old pullets. I've been told that the first to be on the roost is #1, but it's usually my little BR and then my BA and then my Red is last. But when I watch them after they've settled, the BR is either between the other two girls or at the end. In the morning, the BA is usually first to leave when I open the coop door, followed by the BR and then the Red. In the run, the BR sometimes lays between the BA and Red, but sometimes he's off by his lonesome. Who is boss? Who is second?
Second piece: I just got two pullets (actually, one might also be a cockerel, but we're not 100% sure...I need to head over to that forum next) and both are about 3 months old. One (the definite pullet) is ginormous for her age. I'm trying to figure out how to integrate them with the three I already have. Note: if my BR does indeed turn out to be a cockerel, I will have to get rid of him because residential properties like ours aren't allowed to have roosters (plus I think my neighbors would be ticked). With all of that said, here's what I was advised to do by someone at the feed store and so I've started to do it:
Take the two new ones, keep them in a cage for 2-3 days, leave them in the run during the day with the others and put the cage in the coop at night with the others. Then, after the first 2-3 days, let the two new ones out, put the #1 and probably #2 hen into the cage for 2-3 days so the #3 in the established flock is left out with the two new ones. Then on the 3rd night, set them all in the coop freely together and by morning they should have a newly established pecking order.
I feel like that advice is for when you have older hens and are introducing your chicks/younger pullets though. Should I stay the course with that plan? Am I doing it wrong?
Also, this morning, my BA and BR were #1 and #2 to leave the coop respectively, but my Red stayed behind and jumped back onto the roost and then onto the cage of the two new ones and wouldn't leave until I shoed her out of the coop. After I put the cage with our two newbies in the run, she was the first and kind of only one to go over to the cage and start checking out the newbies and pecking around them - does that mean she's actually the #1?
Thanks for any advice and help ya'll can offer!
Here are my new girls:
I've gotten lots of great help from the forums as I've built my coop (below) and got my first batch of pullets. I'm a first time chicken mamma, so please bare with me if these questions show my green-ness.
(Jo's House)
First, I need help with any possible existing pecking order:
I take guesses of pecking order daily, but there's always something to make me doubt or question. Maybe they haven't established PO yet since it's only been a week? Here's my little flock:
They were supposed to all be 15 week pullets. We're pretty sure the BR is actually an 8-10 week cockerel and then the PR/NH and BA are about 3 month old pullets. I've been told that the first to be on the roost is #1, but it's usually my little BR and then my BA and then my Red is last. But when I watch them after they've settled, the BR is either between the other two girls or at the end. In the morning, the BA is usually first to leave when I open the coop door, followed by the BR and then the Red. In the run, the BR sometimes lays between the BA and Red, but sometimes he's off by his lonesome. Who is boss? Who is second?
Second piece: I just got two pullets (actually, one might also be a cockerel, but we're not 100% sure...I need to head over to that forum next) and both are about 3 months old. One (the definite pullet) is ginormous for her age. I'm trying to figure out how to integrate them with the three I already have. Note: if my BR does indeed turn out to be a cockerel, I will have to get rid of him because residential properties like ours aren't allowed to have roosters (plus I think my neighbors would be ticked). With all of that said, here's what I was advised to do by someone at the feed store and so I've started to do it:
Take the two new ones, keep them in a cage for 2-3 days, leave them in the run during the day with the others and put the cage in the coop at night with the others. Then, after the first 2-3 days, let the two new ones out, put the #1 and probably #2 hen into the cage for 2-3 days so the #3 in the established flock is left out with the two new ones. Then on the 3rd night, set them all in the coop freely together and by morning they should have a newly established pecking order.
I feel like that advice is for when you have older hens and are introducing your chicks/younger pullets though. Should I stay the course with that plan? Am I doing it wrong?
Also, this morning, my BA and BR were #1 and #2 to leave the coop respectively, but my Red stayed behind and jumped back onto the roost and then onto the cage of the two new ones and wouldn't leave until I shoed her out of the coop. After I put the cage with our two newbies in the run, she was the first and kind of only one to go over to the cage and start checking out the newbies and pecking around them - does that mean she's actually the #1?
Thanks for any advice and help ya'll can offer!
Here are my new girls:
