Lorax
Chirping
- Jul 13, 2020
- 62
- 95
- 53
Our set up is that we have four chickens who were all raised from one day olds together. Betty, our maran, went broody back in late June so we put some eggs under her and now she has a 3.5 week old chick called Yoyo.
Betty and Yoyo are in their separate run next to the main WIR where they can all see each other-ish. On Sunday we let out the three adult hens (Betty's 'sisters') for a bit to look at Betty and Yoyo in their run, nothing remotely interesting happened. Yesterday we let them all out, Betty and Yoyo first, for some free ranging. At first everything was really fine, then one of the other hens got a touch close (totally absent mindedly) to Yoyo and Betty gave her a peck.
This I expected. So then the three sisters went off round the back of the house (out of sight) to explore. Betty, after a minute, left Yoyo unguarded and totally vulnerable (so much so that we thought she'd abandoned her) and went to find her sisters and the most ALMIGHTY fight ensued. My husband couldn't bear it so he split them up and Betty went back to her chick.
Betty was top of the pecking order before and has always been our most docile, pick-up-able chicken. Honestly, she scares me a bit now! I'm all for Mama-bear behaviour but what do we do now?
Shall we continue to let them all free range together for a bit every day under close supervision and let them sort it out?
How are we ever going to get them to live together again...I feel under time pressure because in a few weeks B will probably abandon her chick and then she/he's going to have to integrate with four full grown hens. any advice welcome. TIA.
Betty and Yoyo are in their separate run next to the main WIR where they can all see each other-ish. On Sunday we let out the three adult hens (Betty's 'sisters') for a bit to look at Betty and Yoyo in their run, nothing remotely interesting happened. Yesterday we let them all out, Betty and Yoyo first, for some free ranging. At first everything was really fine, then one of the other hens got a touch close (totally absent mindedly) to Yoyo and Betty gave her a peck.
This I expected. So then the three sisters went off round the back of the house (out of sight) to explore. Betty, after a minute, left Yoyo unguarded and totally vulnerable (so much so that we thought she'd abandoned her) and went to find her sisters and the most ALMIGHTY fight ensued. My husband couldn't bear it so he split them up and Betty went back to her chick.
Betty was top of the pecking order before and has always been our most docile, pick-up-able chicken. Honestly, she scares me a bit now! I'm all for Mama-bear behaviour but what do we do now?
Shall we continue to let them all free range together for a bit every day under close supervision and let them sort it out?
How are we ever going to get them to live together again...I feel under time pressure because in a few weeks B will probably abandon her chick and then she/he's going to have to integrate with four full grown hens. any advice welcome. TIA.