Quick pecking order question

[SaltLakeChickenMama]

What would happen to the pecking order of a small flock if the bottom of the pecking order was removed?

If detail is needed, I have one hen that is an outcast. She’s always alone and often picked on. She’s a Wyandotte and the rest are australorps and I am considering rehoming her to a flock that has more Wyandottes.

 

[Sally PB]

It's hard to say.

It might be difficult for the new place to integrate her by herself. A single hen can be the hardest integration to do.

I'm sorry for your girl.

 

[SaltLakeChickenMama]

It's hard to say.

It might be difficult for the new place to integrate her by herself. A single hen can be the hardest integration to do.

I'm sorry for your girl.

Do you think she’ll be picked on even worse? If so, I won’t let her go

 

[ChickNanny13]

Intergrating a single is always hard, the flock will gang up on the newbie. Is the Wyandotte & Australorps started together? Ages? How many Australorps?

I research the breed's temperament when getting chicks, some breeds are more docile than others. I also get two of a breed ... I've noticed, others may not agree but "birds of a feather do flock together". Wyandotte's tend to stick together; considered a "docile" breed & tend to keep to themselves so what you're seeing is "normal".

Rehoming her to someone the has Wynadottes and familiar how to intergrate may work, OR make sure she has hiding places to get away from being picked on, OR isolate the trouble maker in a wire dog crate with food/water in the coop for a few days to a week, OR you could try adding another Wynadotte or 2 close in age, integrating as recommended ... See but no touch but it may not solve the problem.

What is the size of your coop/run? IF they're "cramped" that's where problems start too. It's been recommended 4sqft in the coop per chicken and 10sqft in the run per.

 

[SaltLakeChickenMama]

Intergrating a single is always hard, the flock will gang up on the newbie. Is the Wyandotte & Australorps started together? Ages? How many Australorps?

I research the breed's temperament when getting chicks, some breeds are more docile than others. I also get two of a breed ... I've noticed, others may not agree but "birds of a feather do flock together". Wyandotte's tend to stick together; considered a "docile" breed & tend to keep to themselves so what you're seeing is "normal".

Rehoming her to someone the has Wynadottes and familiar how to intergrate may work, OR make sure she has hiding places to get away from being picked on, OR isolate the trouble maker in a wire dog crate with food/water in the coop for a few days to a week, OR you could try adding another Wynadotte or 2 close in age, integrating as recommended ... See but no touch but it may not solve the problem.

What is the size of your coop/run? IF they're "cramped" that's where problems start too. It's been recommended 4sqft in the coop per chicken and 10sqft in the run per.

They are the same age (1 1/2 yo and have been living together since they were chicks) they free range and have plenty of space. She’s just a loner that gets picked on by her “sisters” and has chip in her shoulder - she goes after the new chicks.

 

[aart]

have plenty of space

Free range is great, but how big is the coop and run, in feet by feet?
Crowding in coop/run can carry on while ranging.

 

[SaltLakeChickenMama]

Free range is great, but how big is the coop and run, in feet by feet?
Crowding in coop/run can carry on while ranging.

Coop has 2 bars that are 4 feet long each for 6 chickens.

They free range of my yard which is 1/3 of an acre.

 

[cafafwhisp]

Hello just jumping on this thread to ask a question about pecking order. Is it normal for the bottom in the pecking order to sleep in a seperate coop? I have 2 coops which are available to the hens, one they use for laying and one for sleeping. At night they all go in the sleeping one except the lowest in the pecking order who sleeps alone where they lay. She also spends most of her time alone and not with the rest ofthe flock as they go around the garden. Any thoughts?

 

[ChicksandJacque]

What would happen to the pecking order of a small flock if the bottom of the pecking order was removed?

If detail is needed, I have one hen that is an outcast. She’s always alone and often picked on. She’s a Wyandotte and the rest are australorps and I am considering rehoming her to a flock that has more Wyandottes.

Some friends of mine had a similar experience. I was just getting my 8-12 week old (varying ages) flock going, so we thought this might be an easy way for the hen who was being picked on to integrate with a new flock. I'm happy to say, I've had little to know problems. She, who was at the bottom of the pecking order in her old flock, is definitely at the top now. The others stayed out of her way for a couple of days, but each day they're less and less wary of her. She's not overly aggressive, but the others respect her. All that, just to say if you can find someone who has pullets, this method of integrating the one older hen seems to have worked out quite well, at least for now.

 

[Loving my girls]

I’m just jumping in here too with my tale;

One time I had a gentle little hen, Tilly, at the bottom of the flock. Sad it was she got picked on something rotten.
So I took matters into my own hands. I took away one of the other hens for a week, Iris, I kept her in a spare hen house. The others could still see her. She is a fine strong girl so I knew she’d be okay.
After a week i retuned her to the flock. She had a few quarrels within the pecking order but the whole process gave the flock a shake up.
Although my little Tilly is still at the bottom Iris my has gone down a notch making Tilly less picked on.
I wouldn’t normally do this but it was a last resort for poor Tilly and, fortunately, it paid off