Hello everyone! I'm pretty new to chickens and brand new to SFHs- just got 2 last Friday. I've been following this thread for a while now in anticipation of these girls. I got them from a breeder who specializes in rare breeds and I've been waiting on them for months while we coordinated delivery. Along with the 2 SFH (who are 7 mos old today- one recently started laying) I also got 2 Cream Legbars (1 hatched end of Nov and 1 hatched March 20, 2015) and 2 Black Copper Marans (also hatched March 20). Since they were transported in the same carrier we've decided to have them all in quarantine together. The youngest CL, though not the smallest, is definitely the lowest on the pecking order. The non-laying SFH is the top- and she is quite a meanie! So, I wanted to ask, what is your experience with the SFH pullets/hens when there is not a rooster around? She seems peaceful enough when it's not mealtime, but at mealtime she is ruthless. She grabs anyone who gets close to her by the head and whips them around or pecks at them (except the other SFH). I feed fermented food twice a day and have started putting it in two bowls but she is still doing it. There will be 5 chickens at one bowl and her at the other. When she moves to the other bowl the rest switch bowls too. I'm considering putting her in the dog kennel for a time out if she keeps this up. How much of this is normal behavior? I expected there to be a period of establishing a pecking order, but I'm not sure this is what I expected. Once they are out of quarantine I can put them in with our other 5 Marans who are about 12 weeks old and very close to her size. There are 2 cockerels in there, one of which may be dominant to keep her in line. If she keeps being a bully we will rehome her altogether. Any thoughts/advice?
@Alpine Chicken congrats on your hatch! What a fantastic outcome. I've been silently rooting for you with your awful rat problem. You've got quite a nice family there.
When I can get some pictures of these girls I can post then here- one is sort of a buff/cream and the meanie is crested and a dark brown/black body with more of an orangey brown neck and head and white spots all over.
@Alpine Chicken congrats on your hatch! What a fantastic outcome. I've been silently rooting for you with your awful rat problem. You've got quite a nice family there.
When I can get some pictures of these girls I can post then here- one is sort of a buff/cream and the meanie is crested and a dark brown/black body with more of an orangey brown neck and head and white spots all over.
