Hello BYC! We have just got two new different breeds of chickens and my two older is a browns are very stressed and seem to be stressed and upset! The two new ones are quite comfortable though. I'm concerned for my two old Isa browns though and worried of they could die from stress!! Do you know if they'll be ok? I'm not sure how they'll cope! Thanks! :/
Chickens hate change, it does cause them stress to add and subtract from the flock, if there is no blood, they are fine and will re-ajust within a week. When adding new birds of similar size, make sure your run area has multiple feeders, waters, and hide outs and multiple levels such as an outdoor roost in the corner of the run, a piece of plywood leaned up against a wall, a pallet up on blocks. While these might make your run seem more crowded, it actually gives your birds more space to get away from each other. Bare open empty runs are boring for chickens, and bored chickens often will pick on each other. There is no place to get out of sight, and it can turn ugly. Mrs K
What are their symptoms of stress? Screeching bloody murder? Panting? Flying like a crazed bird all over the coop and crashing into things? Attacking others or you?