There is NO HARMONY in my FLOCK

[PoultryPedia]

Bless you! Bless you! You have a caring heart

Sounds like you have some really pesky problem-causing fluffs.

Silly chickens!!! They gotta learn to be NICE!

 

[huntsman]

Wish I had something clever to add, but really feel for you as I am in a similar position, albeit not as volatile...

Hang in there!

 

[math ace]

Here is the update:

I went into town for five hours today. When I left she was on a roost and there were 3 pullets and 1 roo on the ground.

When I came back home EVERYBODY was on the ground and getting along well. EVERYBODY being 5 pullets, 1 roo, and the victim of all the picking.
While I was gone, two of my leghorns decided to jump / fly over the blockcaide I had made. However, everybody was getting along.

GOOD JOB - - - So I took down the blockcaide and the transition continued pretty smoothly.
The roo seemed to be keeping an eye out for the sweet little pullet that was getting picked on.
She is still stressed and is FREEZING anytime anybody comes near her, but at least she isn't flying up to the perch.

I watched her eat some too.

Maybe tomorrow will bring Harmony back to my flock. I am very happy to see my roo starting to intervene for her.
Sweet boy, I might have to keep him around for a while

I just wish he would hurry up and get big so that he could put Alpha Hen, the Wyandotte who started all this turmoil, in place !

 

[huntsman]

This is great news!

I have a feeling, though, that once a roo has accepted another male as his leader, he stays submissive to that leader, regardless of size. Perhaps that's not the case when a hen assumes control?

Anyone?

 

[Kittymomma]

Quote:
It's not the same here. It took my young roos longer to get bossy with the grown hens then the pullets that they grew up with, but there's no doubt who's in charge now--which reminds me, I need to get busy on some hen aprons....

 

[kittyacid]

I went into town for five hours today. When I left she was on a roast and there were 3 pullets and 1 roo on the ground.

I read this and thought you got feed up with dealing with them!!! Glad I read on!​

 

[math ace]

let me go back and fix that typo

Today, she was acting all afraid of them and running before they did anything to her. Poor baby needed some help with confidence.

I stood with a water hose ready to help her with that confidence. I put some scratch and bird seed out for treats for everybody. I let her find her pile - - away from everybody else and their own piles. Anytime a bird thought about heading her way I squirted them. I had seen enough to know they weren't soming over to keep her company. First the PLUCK and then still her pile of seed.

I SAY NO WAY - - - she got to eat her treats and everybody just got a little wet if they went near her.

Works for me

 

[PoultryPedia]

 

[firedove]

sounds like it is headed in the right direction. I'm glad things are getting better. You will always have someone on the bottom of the order that will run from the hens higher on the order, especially when food is involved. My low pecking order hens stay back while the main flock eats and then head in when the others start to disperse. Most of my flock is Wyandottes and the 3 low on the order hens are 2 Wyandottes and a mixed breed bantam. They will get picked on if they aren't smart enough to give way to the more dominant hens (especially my mean old Golden Comet hen) but they learned to stay on the fringes of the flock and wait for their food, and all is well 99% of the time. My very bottom hens are both blind since chicks and even they know how to avoid the others until the coast is clear to go eat. They hide under the nesting boxes when we dump the food in the feeder and come out when we either let the flock out or the flock goes up to roost for the evening.

Basically what I'm saying is there will always be the chicken that needs to run and/or hide from the head chickens, what you need to stop is the picking part of the equation.