The Poor Little girl

[Le Mitzer]

Do anyone have a bit of advice....
I just got my third chicken, she is a beautiful sussex, all white with a few black feather on her behind and a few on her neck (pictures to come)
I did not Quartine

, but i have had no problems (as of yet) but i asked the farmer, and he was all like " oh its no big deal, just throw her in with the other two" so i thought "OK your the farmer dude, it what you do for a living, and he will exchange if nessary" so that is good.
Know that there will be a few problems with peching order and sorting out their place;
the Sussex is a bit bigger then the other two, but she is picked on quite a bit, and at night either the other two wont let her or she just doesnt know yet, to go on her roost; she is sleeping below the coop on the ground or on the coop floor.
Is this normal?
how long until the other tow start leaving her alone,

 

[duckyfromoz]

I cant help with the issue of the pecking order... But is it possible that the farmer you bought her on does not provide a roost for his chickens?? If not then it would be plausible to think she hasnt learnt to roost yet.

 

[Jeffross1968]

I have a 9 month old brown leghorn and a couple 4 or 5 month olds we haven't figured out yet that huddle in a laying box every night together, instead of sleeping on the roost. Been doing that since we got them all. I've given up trying to get them to roost at night. All my others sleep on the roost.

 

[dinahmoe]

i have had a couple that did that.late at night i would go out and put them up on the roost.after about 2-3 nights,i would go out and find them already on the roost.make sure its late and kinda sneak her up in with all the others.good luck.

 

[For The Love of Peeps]

Hello,

I have a rooster & a hen that have always "slept together" in the straw. I provided a roost, but for some reason they liked the straw better. I hope your other chickens quick picking on her soon...

I think this is one of the hard parts of raising chickens...They do have a pecking order. Wishing you the best of luck!

 

[teach1rusl]

She's the outsider, so I'd guess they're picking on her so much that she's afraid to roost with them (they're probably pecking at her a lot when she tries). That's why most people suggest not introducing a single bird to a flock, even a small flock. Pairs work better because at least the newbies have a buddy while being ostracized. You can go in after darkness and place her on the roost, but it's probably just going to take a lot of time. When they start being nice to her will be when she starts roosting.

 

[Le Mitzer]

thanks for the advice guys,

Blancette is doing a lot better, the other two have been a bit nicer to her the last couple days;

now she is allowed to chill with them and finnish up any tastey pieces they left behind. yet she is still not allowed on the roost.
but I'm thinking Baby steps; im just happy im no longer finding feather in the other two's becks!

I've read that a lack of protien can increase feather picking, so luckly with my work i have an unlimited supply of Soya Protien, So I have been beefin' up my girls on that, a good handful each everyday; but my fatty chicken 'Nugget' eats most of it, so it works out to be more two handful for her and one for the other two.
aswell as I feed them must scraps from the kitchen and they are free range.
They seem like pretty happy chickens, i want to get them a rooster now, but unfortunately it has been Vitoed by the better half, she probably right though, it seems she always is.

thanks again for the help!