So many issues!!!

[ChickensOhMy]

Please no judgment. I went into this chicken raising thing on a whim and blindly, and I know that was silly of me. I do love this chicken tender life, and I'm doing the best I can! I have found myself in a few situations that I need to figure out how to remedy, so here I am...

For context, I have 6 chickens. The 3 big girls are 6 months old, and they're all laying every day, and have been for about a month or so. They are in a really nice big coop - not a walk-in coop, and a big walk-in run, winterized the best I know how. These are all mixes, as far as I know, though they all look super similar to specific breeds. One looks like a lavender orpington, one looks like a cochin without fluffy feet, and one looks like an australorp with a little more brown in her feathers than typical. I didn't choose these breeds for any reason, I just wanted chicks and bought them on an impulse when they were teeny tiny - I think 5 days old. These girls are not super friendly. Sometimes the 2 gray girls will go after us when we turn our backs. I have maintained going in and hand feeding them every single day, usually multiple times a day, and still hold them, despite them being jerks.

And then I also have 3 younger girls who are 4 months old. I picked these 3 based on what they look like, bc, again...I'm silly like that. (insert eye roll at myself) One is a white crested polish, one is a golden laced polish, and one is an EE frizzle. These 3 are complete nut jobs, and are PETRIFIED of people, especially the EE. The polish girls are goofy af, which I expected. (But, hey! They're super cute! Haha!)

All 6 girls were raised (3 at a time, which is how I bought them) in a brooder in our living room and were handled every day. It was summer & early fall, so they got plenty of outside time as they grew up, and they used to climb all over us and chase us everywhere we went. I have a dog who is playful and never bothered the chickens and 3 kids who have always handled them.

Problem #1 - I tried to integrate the younger girls with the older girls about a month ago, and it was apparently too soon...even though I had them in a smaller run within their big run for weeks before I put them together. The 2nd morning in, 1 polish and 1 EE came out with bloody combs and beaks and there was blood on the walls in 2 corners (showing that they were shoved into the corners and likely trying their best to escape the meanies). ...so I put them back in their small coop & run. For those who will ask, I tried the trick of putting them in at night, and they were fine until morning when the sun came up. Now what? I NEED the 3 younger girls to go into the bigger run with the other 3. The coop & run they're in is super hard to winterize and it's been FREEEEEZING here. I'm so worried about them! It's been a month since I tried integrating them. Should I try again? When? How?

Problem #2 - My big girls: The 2 gray girls have frostbite, I think. One has 2 or 3 tiny black tips of her comb, and the one with a bigger floppy comb has much lighter (than the rest of her comb), almost pale pink tips of her comb. I've read everything from put a warm wash cloth on the spots very gently to crush up aspirin and put it in their water for inflammation, etc. So much contradicting advice online! Mushers Secret? Vaseline? Putting them in the house is not an option.

Problem #3 - My 3rd big girl, the australorp look-alike, has poop stuck all over her butt. It is below zero this week at night, so I don't think getting her damp/wet is a good idea, right? Seems obvious, but nothing is obvious with these little PITAs! HA!

They all eat the same thing and have for the duration (and advanced slowly to age-appropriate food as needed). They get mealworms every day. They eat good food, have a safe heat source in there since it's been below zero for a good few days and the temps will stay pretty low for about the next week. They're all 3 laying every day, so that makes me feel like they're happy enough and being taken care of. What am I doing wrong?

I know I joke about them being huge pains, but I do love them. They *are* huge pains in the butt(!), no one can deny that...but lovable pains!

If you read this whole thing, THANK YOU! I'd love to hear any input you might have for me.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

How big is your coop and run? Integration takes time and is best started when the new ones are young. The older they are the longer it will take. Pen them next to each other, and occasionally try supervised mingling. With the new breeds being crested and frizzled I wouldn't rush it. Sometimes crested birds can become a target, and you end up with a dead bird.

When you handled your chickens too much they often don't respect your personal space, so they have no problem being aggressive. I personally don't hand feed nor allow them to perch on me.

Frostbite on combs happens in winter, especially at temps below zero. If it's happening in warmer temps than I would suspect too much moisture is building up in the coop, and ventilation needs to be increased.

With poops stuck to the bottom it's either the hen is sleeping in a nest box, or her diet contains a lot of moisture. Fruits and wet mashes can make their poops more loose and prone to sticking. You can wash them off or trim them up.

 

[StinkyAcres]

Not all chickens will love people, even if they are handled regularly. It depends on their breed and individual temperaments.

#1 What are the dimensions of your coop and run and how many birds in total do you have? While it is normal for newcomers to be pecked pretty badly, I don't recall ever seeing the older chickens draw blood. The new birds need lots of space and places to hide and get away from the old birds.

#2 Usually there is no need to treat the frostbite and it should fall off and heal on its own. Where in general are you located? And would you mind posting a photo of your coop? Depending on where you live you may be able to prevent more frostbite by modifying your coop.

#3 I'd cut her bottom feathers off (with the poop) instead of trying to clean them. It can be normal for poop to stick to their fluffy feathers. But a picture might help us determine if it's a normal poopy bottom or not.

 

[ChickensOhMy]

How big is your coop and run? Integration takes time and is best started when the new ones are young. The older they are the longer it will take. Pen them next to each other, and occasionally try supervised mingling. With the new breeds being crested and frizzled I wouldn't rush it. Sometimes crested birds can become a target, and you end up with a dead bird.

When you handled your chickens too much they often don't respect your personal space, so they have no problem being aggressive. I personally don't hand feed nor allow them to perch on me.

Frostbite on combs happens in winter, especially at temps below zero. If it's happening in warmer temps than I would suspect too much moisture is building up in the coop, and ventilation needs to be increased.

With poops stuck to the bottom it's either the hen is sleeping in a nest box, or her diet contains a lot of moisture. Fruits and wet mashes can make their poops more loose and prone to sticking. You can wash them off or trim them up.

Thank you for taking the time to reply! My coop is big...way bigger than it needs to be for 6 hens (though I'm not positive on the dimensions). The run is 10x15. I might have to section off half the run for the younger girls...bc the run that's attached to their coop is so small and I feel so badly for them staying in there. You said younger is easier than older...and they were 3 months old when I integrated them, after weeks of being in the run off and on with them, and 100% of the time having their run inside the bigger run, so exposed for a long time with just hardware cloth separating them. I'm sort of at a loss with this one. I guess I'll wait another month or so to try to integrate them fully, after trying to do short amounts of time for a few weeks, and having them stay in their own run within the bigger run.

It's so interesting that you say we handled them too much. LOL! I can't win! Everyone said handle them more if you want friendly chickens...and here we are. You very well may be right! Too late now, I suppose...can't go back in time to try it differently.

It's just so damn cold, I think...no moisture, except for their drinking water. Should I just leave the frostbite parts alone and they'll either fall off or they won't? Should I be treating it?

The poopy butt - I *do* give my girls warm oatmeal with mealworms on really cold days. Could that be it? It's certainly not the swimming in water type of oatmeal, but it's mushy like oatmeal is supposed to be. Hmmm. I hope that's all it is! There's hardly any poop at all in the nesting boxes, so I don't think it's that.

Thanks again for taking the time to read and reply!

 

[WingItRanch]

Good advice from the other two posters but I have a question about this comment...

Sometimes the 2 gray girls will go after us when we turn our backs.

Are you sure these are pullets and not cockerels? Sneak attacks are very much a cockerel behavior.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

It's just so damn cold, I think...no moisture, except for their drinking water. Should I just leave the frostbite parts alone and they'll either fall off or they won't? Should I be treating it?

I personally don't touch frost bitten tissue. It can cause more damage. Most heal up fine. I've only seen a couple of rooster struggle when wattles get frostbite, and for some reason swell up. Next year there will be less comb tissue to get frost bite. I do avoid breeds now with big combs and wattles, but some frostbite damage is inevitable in colder weather.

The poopy butt - I *do* give my girls warm oatmeal with mealworms on really cold days. Could that be it? It's certainly not the swimming in water type of oatmeal, but it's mushy like oatmeal is supposed to be. Hmmm. I hope that's all it is! There's hardly any poop at all in the nesting boxes, so I don't think it's that.

I used to do the oatmeal too until one year I decided to skip a step and toss some out dry. It caused a few birds to die. Apparently dry oatmeal can cause a sludge build up in the guts. I stopped all oatmeal completely and everyone was fine. I no longer do the wet feeds in winter. I think it made me feel better to feed it.

Some birds just end up more messy than others. It's a bigger problem in summer because flies will lay eggs in the build-up. So trimming some feathers is the better option if things don't improve.

 

[Squawkers]

Are you sure the ones that are going after you are actually being aggressive? I have had several chickens over the years that relentlessly peck my back when I am in the coop. I have to keep my back in a corner. But they are not being mean, they are just pecking to get my attention, even though it hurts quite a bit. I have one right now that is fascinated with my hair, and I am constantly pulling long strands out of her mouth I am not doubting that they are aggressive, but maybe you are interpreting their funny antics wrong.

 

[SkyAJK]

Please no judgment. I went into this chicken raising thing on a whim and blindly, and I know that was silly of me. I do love this chicken tender life, and I'm doing the best I can! I have found myself in a few situations that I need to figure out how to remedy, so here I am...

You have come to the right place to ask for help raising chickens.
Chickens are heart thief and as you experiencing, many also go through some of it at some stage somehow.
Be patient and you are supported here.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Problem #1 - Doesn't help with the current scenario, but I believe integrating much earlier is far easier than later. I begin integration at around 10-14 days old, and completely finish at 4-5 weeks old.

Unfortunately you can't rush it at this point. You can help by cluttering up the run and providing multiple feed/water stations throughout the run, to give the younger birds more places to take cover and reduce aggression over resources. Photos of your set up would help a lot in more specific responses. As far as cooping them together, if you can fence off part of the coop for the younger birds they can go in with the older ones, otherwise cooping up for me is the last step in integration since supervision is difficult at the break of dawn.

Another thing... the reality is birds with unusual feathering like frizzle, crests, they may have a hard time integrating with "normal" birds . Are you able to house unusual feathered birds completely separately if the need arises?

Problem #2 - Frostbite shouldn't be handled, the tissue is already damaged so attempting to treat it may worsen the damage that's already there. Most likely the damaged tips will die and fall off (natural dubbing).

Problem #3 - Trimming off the poopy feathers makes the most sense in most cases, and definitely when it's cold. Some birds are just messy poopers.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Good advice from the other two posters but I have a question about this comment...

Are you sure these are pullets and not cockerels? Sneak attacks are very much a cockerel behavior.

If you post pics of the birds that attack you, we can tell you if they are cockerels or pullets.