Switching chickens!

[jordana]

After some brutal pecking that led to surgery, and now a month of isolation for treatment for one of my cream legbar girls I have decided to get rid of my three bully chickens (RIRXAustralorp) from my flock, however I’m keen to maintain the same sized flock.

Aside from the bullies I have 2 legbars, a Wyandotte and a polish hen. When the 3 bullies go I am looking at replacing them with 2 polish and 1 more Wyandotte. What I am wondering is if people have experience with these birds becoming aggressive? I really can’t relive the trauma of the intense hen pecking we’ve just had here. I suppose I’m looking for reassurance that they’re all relatively docile birds who should harmonise ok.

Vet has recommended I put the polish with my injured legbar as she is isolated inside for the next month so that she doesn’t get lonely and reintroduction is so tough, but would be interested in others thoughts?

 

[jordana]

I should specify, that is my current polish suggested to accompany the legbar.

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

Welcome to our eggcelent flock here at BYC

 

[Melky]

Welcome to BYC!​

 

[Farmgal101]

Welcome to BYC!were glad to have you here and answer any questions you may have!

 

[Mrs. K]

Ugly behavior is often times caused by too tight of quarters. However, adding strange birds can trigger it too. And some birds just seem to be victims in certain flocks and will do better in other flocks.

Introducing a pair is better than a single bird. When you introduce the single bird to your injured bird, there may be scuffles between them. Once they get along, then introducing the pair to the flock will still be stressful, but not as stressful as introducing a single bird.

A lot depends on your set up. If you can, take the main flock out and trade places with the pair that have been separated. This will allow the new pair to explore the main coop and run, without being chased and harassed. I also have a great deal of clutter in my run, roosts, mini walls, pallets and platforms. When I go to put them back together, I rearrange everything. Kind of helps make it all strange to everyone.

As for birds of a certain breed, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

But you might need to measure your coop, and run in all three dimensions and consider if you need that many chickens. Sometimes when they are bullying birds, they are trying to tell you that you have too many full size birds. It often happens as birds get big, what was enough space when they were chicks is not enough room when they are all full size.

Mrs K

 

[jordana]

Ugly behavior is often times caused by too tight of quarters. However, adding strange birds can trigger it too. And some birds just seem to be victims in certain flocks and will do better in other flocks.

Introducing a pair is better than a single bird. When you introduce the single bird to your injured bird, there may be scuffles between them. Once they get along, then introducing the pair to the flock will still be stressful, but not as stressful as introducing a single bird.

A lot depends on your set up. If you can, take the main flock out and trade places with the pair that have been separated. This will allow the new pair to explore the main coop and run, without being chased and harassed. I also have a great deal of clutter in my run, roosts, mini walls, pallets and platforms. When I go to put them back together, I rearrange everything. Kind of helps make it all strange to everyone.

As for birds of a certain breed, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

But you might need to measure your coop, and run in all three dimensions and consider if you need that many chickens. Sometimes when they are bullying birds, they are trying to tell you that you have too many full size birds. It often happens as birds get big, what was enough space when they were chicks is not enough room when they are all full size.

Mrs K

Perhaps this is a combination of both. The bullies were 12 weeks old when we got them. We had them for 7 days before we were able to add the 2 legbar, the polish and the Wyandotte who had all come together. The birds I added were all 5-6 months old and bigger but the original 3 were pretty vicious from the outset to the currently injured legbar from the outset.

The coop and run measurements are supposedly adequate for 10 birds, though I think that would really be pushing it. My long term intent is to free range them in my yard but was waiting for them to settle in the coop and we were also going away for a couple of weeks and didn’t want to leave the responsibility of supervising that with my puppy with a house sitter in my absence.

While we were away we had a heat wave of 5 days at about 43c/110f and subsequently a couple of weeks at 38c/100f. It’s only now cooling down to high 20s low 30s and I did wonder if this has also contributed.

The polish I am thinking of putting with the injured bird came with her, is incredibly docile (she’s subsequently bottom of the pecking order with the injured bird removed) and isn’t much more than half her size so I’m hopeful the relationship will be easy and also assist the reintroduction later.

 

[Meg-in-MT]

Hello! Welcome to BYC!!

Good luck to you in getting your birds integrated. Sorry to hear about the trouble you went through!

Feel free to check out the links below for some interesting reading.

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

Welcome to our FUNomenal Flock!
I had to rehome my RIR and Barred rock hens for being so aggressive as well.
Good luck with the integration!

 

[Mrs. K]

When you say enough room, in the coop. Are you talking a pre-fab coop? As they are rather infamous to over- estimating what will fit.

I think you just might be happier all around, by selling those 3 bullies. If they are laying well, they will be easy to sell, and I think you would be much happier with a calmer flock. And if space is the issue, which I think it might be, some breeds just do not take a tight confinement well, getting rid of those bullies, reduces your flock. I think you would enjoy your birds much more, to get them out of there.

Mrs K