Very Grumpy Hen!!

[Tayjayuk]

Good morning from Southampton UK. I recently bought 2 Warren pullets (20 weeks) so that my Orpy wouldn't be lonely (she's 3 and recently lost her sister). However, on seeing these two imposters she's is SO GRUMPY and SO LOUD!!! They've been separated for a few days and have also free ranged with each other but Daisy (the Orpington) keeps chasing and pecking them.

My question is when is it OK for the 3 of them to be put together in the coop? The pullets are POL and one laid her first egg in our compost heap. I want them to be able to freely enter the coop and nest box but they keep getting attacked and chased.

I am separating them at night at the moment but by doing that am I putting them back to square one each day? Any advice would really help - thank you so much

 

[PD-Riverman]

Good morning from Southampton UK. I recently bought 2 Warren pullets (20 weeks) so that my Orpy wouldn't be lonely (she's 3 and recently lost her sister). However, on seeing these two imposters she's is SO GRUMPY and SO LOUD!!! They've been separated for a few days and have also free ranged with each other but Daisy (the Orpington) keeps chasing and pecking them.

My question is when is it OK for the 3 of them to be put together in the coop? The pullets are POL and one laid her first egg in our compost heap. I want them to be able to freely enter the coop and nest box but they keep getting attacked and chased.

I am separating them at night at the moment but by doing that am I putting them back to square one each day? Any advice would really help - thank you so much

Leave the new in the main pen----put "grumpy" in a private pen/cage for a few days----maybe a week. When you put her back in the main pen she will probably feel like the Newbie and act different. Good Luck

 

[Tayjayuk]

Leave the new in the main pen----put "grumpy" in a private pen/cage for a few days----maybe a week. When you put her back in the main pen she will probably feel like the Newbie and act different. Good Luck

Fab!!! Thank you If I don't do something soon my neighbours will stop talking to me!!

 

[Mrs. K]

Take a look at your pen, is it just an open rectangle? Try adding a roost outside in the run, put up a scrap of plywood, to make a mini wall that a bird can get behind and out of sight. It needs to be open on both sides so as not to make a trap, place a feeder there.
This will really change up the run, making it 'new' to all of them. Then put them together and let them work it out. You are restarting the whole deal, each time you interfere. A few pecks are not to worry about, unless a bird is getting bloody, then you have to.

 

[SpaghettiJo]

if your run is big enough, you could place your grumpy hen in a dog crate (or something of the sort) INSIDE your run to isolate her and get her used to the other girls without risking the pecking and chasing.. similar to how you integrate new chickens into your flock but a little backwards

 

[lazy gardener]

Agreed with other posters: I'd remove grumpy. This lets the new girls get used to coop and run. Also, is your coop and run big enough for 3 birds? Recommendation is for 4 s.f. in coop and 10 s.f. in run per bird.

 

[aart]

I am separating them at night at the moment but by doing that am I putting them back to square one each day?

Welcome to BYC!!
Yeah, kind of, but....work with the spaces you have.
You've been given some good advice and asked some important questions.

Here's some tips:
Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.


This used to be a better search, new format has reduced it's efficacy, but still:
Read up on integration..... BYC advanced search>titles only>integration
This is good place to start reading, BUT some info is outdated IMO:
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock