I did some flock rearrangement this weekend. The Cornish Rocks were butchered and "replaced" with two FCBM's. They were supposedly about the same age as the existing flock (7 weeks old or thereabouts) but upon getting them home they look to be a couple weeks younger.
The flock is now my Dominique, Americauna, the two aforementioned FCBM's, and the Speckled Sussex (Redhead.) I put the new birds in the coop at night without a flashlight to ease the introduction. The Dominique is easily the friendliest, to people and the newcomers, but is still a bit mean chasing around the new girls. The Americauna is almost wild in her flightiness but leaves them be. the Sussex is in the middle with people but she is MEAN to these new birds. She is also the biggest.
One of the FCBM's is fine, she just avails herself to the highest spot that wasn't intended to be a roost but whatever. The other isn't quite there with her flight skills/feather development.
Today I let the original flock in the run with the one new girl (bigger one,) and she got pushed out by the Redhead (the run is still under construction.) I put her back in the coop with the door open and she stayed and hung out with her sister all day, mostly availing herself of the lack of competition with the feeder.
I came back this afternoon to find the little one, the bullied one, in the run alone with the others roosting. I put her back in as the dog will be home soon, and she seems fine on the ground with the other four roosting. I'm concerned about her, long term though...at least til she gets a bit bigger. Should I cage the Sussex for awhile to teach her some Manners? Or would the Americauna or Dominicker take her place as the meanie? Or separate the new girl(s).
Pic is of the flock. FCBM and Americauna at the top right, Redhead in the middle, Dominique on the bottom left...
The flock is now my Dominique, Americauna, the two aforementioned FCBM's, and the Speckled Sussex (Redhead.) I put the new birds in the coop at night without a flashlight to ease the introduction. The Dominique is easily the friendliest, to people and the newcomers, but is still a bit mean chasing around the new girls. The Americauna is almost wild in her flightiness but leaves them be. the Sussex is in the middle with people but she is MEAN to these new birds. She is also the biggest.
One of the FCBM's is fine, she just avails herself to the highest spot that wasn't intended to be a roost but whatever. The other isn't quite there with her flight skills/feather development.
Today I let the original flock in the run with the one new girl (bigger one,) and she got pushed out by the Redhead (the run is still under construction.) I put her back in the coop with the door open and she stayed and hung out with her sister all day, mostly availing herself of the lack of competition with the feeder.
I came back this afternoon to find the little one, the bullied one, in the run alone with the others roosting. I put her back in as the dog will be home soon, and she seems fine on the ground with the other four roosting. I'm concerned about her, long term though...at least til she gets a bit bigger. Should I cage the Sussex for awhile to teach her some Manners? Or would the Americauna or Dominicker take her place as the meanie? Or separate the new girl(s).
Pic is of the flock. FCBM and Americauna at the top right, Redhead in the middle, Dominique on the bottom left...
