Very, very low pecking order broody juvenile to be reintroduced back into flock

[chickengrrl82]

The situation is that I had a very small, clearly lowest of the pecking order bantam when I first arrived at the farm. She was only 6-7 weeks old so I said, “Hey, I’ll keep her in my bathroom no problem with another small bantam” (we were having major possum and raccoon troubles and lost half the flock...4 in 3 days).

The bigger, orange bantam (Elizabeth) obviously started pecking at the smaller one so it was time for her to go outdoors and she’s loving it.

I’ve been training our rooster Phillip since he’s only 11 weeks old at this point to call everyone in at dusk to help with the predator issue. No problems since.

Now, my little speckled bantam (Margaret) with so much love to give adopted 5 lavender chicks from the store. No heat lamp required...I showed her it was OK for them to be under her wings and she’s puffed up and taken care of them to keep them warm, but they still live in my bathroom in a black tub for raising pullets.

She’s completely bonded with them and in return they’re bonded with her. But I swear she just doesn’t know how to Chicken! One of them will come right up and peck her on the face. She will just ignore it. All of the chicks eat first and then she gets to eat. She’ll drink water when they’re not watching, etc!

They will even hop on her back and slide down her neck to the front of her beak. She’s 11 weeks now! I’m trying to reintroduce her to our flock (an 11 week old roo and 11 week old Elizabeth), but Margaret will obviously be at the bottom of the pecking order or non-detectible. The roo liked the babies, and we left her out on a sunny day only to find Margaret stuffed under the coop stairs with all 5 chicks under her wings.

How is a super passive chicken who -frankly isn’t that good at being a chicken - supposed to help integrate these pullets (now 3 weeks old)??

I suggested keeping Margaret in a separate area and just having her be a broody hen for new members of the flock when they’re super tiny and need the lamp, but I couldn’t find anything on when a hen doesn’t even show up on the pecking order!

She basically gets her face pecked and doesn’t respond. I’ve never seen her peck another chicken except to get a chick back under her wing for bedtime.

 

[Trimurtisan]

How is a super passive chicken who -frankly isn’t that good at being a chicken - supposed to help integrate these pullets (now 3 weeks old)??

I suggested keeping Margaret in a separate area and just having her be a broody hen for new members of the flock when they’re super tiny and need the lamp, but I couldn’t find anything on when a hen doesn’t even show up on the pecking order!

That's just a baby raising babies. I understand she accepted the chicks, but I'm not sure I'd call that broody. I'm assuming she is missing some basic instincts because she's not mature.

If she's already being picked on, I'm not sure I'd even try to integrate her and the chicks until the chicks are feathered out and have some of their own life experiences, like knowing to run away. If the young mom is not defending herself, and lacks basic instinct to raise chicks, I doubt she is going to defend the chicks.

If you are able to divide their living situation with fencing or hardware cloth so they can see each other without touching would be my suggestion. The young girl might get with the program and have her instincts kick in. I wouldn't trust the chicks to be secure around the other 2 older birds just yet.

 

[chickengrrl82]

That's just a baby raising babies. I understand she accepted the chicks, but I'm not sure I'd call that broody. I'm assuming she is missing some basic instincts because she's not mature.

If she's already being picked on, I'm not sure I'd even try to integrate her and the chicks until the chicks are feathered out and have some of their own life experiences, like knowing to run away. If the young mom is not defending herself, and lacks basic instinct to raise chicks, I doubt she is going to defend the chicks.

If you are able to divide their living situation with fencing or hardware cloth so they can see each other without touching would be my suggestion. The young girl might get with the program and have her instincts kick in. I wouldn't trust the chicks to be secure around the other 2 older birds just yet.

Yeah, I looked into trying to do the separate area living thing in the coop, but I just don’t have the time.

I think you’re right. She just happened to have a maternal instinct, but she has few instincts otherwise...hopefully they’ll come with age...

That’s her waiting in line behind the chicks to eat...the black chick tends to peck her in the face the most or stand on her back etc.

She will also do that with water.

Hah!

 

[Trimurtisan]

She's very cute. Hopefully she'll gather more motherly skills as she goes.
What about using something like a rubbermaid tub, and cutting a large viewing area in the side to cover with hardware cloth or welded wire? Make like a secure brooder to place in the coop. This way they can be seen by the older birds but not harmed if one gets out of line. I'd try for at least a week of "see no touch" before fully integrating them.

Little miss might just turn out to be a great sergeant momma

 

[chickengrrl82]

She's very cute. Hopefully she'll gather more motherly skills as she goes.
What about using something like a rubbermaid tub, and cutting a large viewing area in the side to cover with hardware cloth or welded wire? Make like a secure brooder to place in the coop. This way they can be seen by the older birds but not harmed if one gets out of line. I'd try for at least a week of "see no touch" before fully integrating them.

Little miss might just turn out to be a great sergeant momma

Oooo I have those in the shed. That’s a GREAT idea.
She’s so sweet, but needs to stand up for herself! I told my relative I’m caring for as well, “I am just teaching her HOW to be a chicken...she’s bad at that.”
I have tried to get her to peck shiny stuff to maybe learn, but she is terrified of her reflection!
I’m really glad I had some kind of intuition to pick her out of the flock (I think the orange bantam was pecking at her face) and the chance to snuggle her as my first chicken experience!

Poor thing still is only 1.5 lbs and I can’t hand feed her to make sure she gets extra nutrients although I do try to give her some bugs I find around (chicks don’t know what to do with them yet).

 

[----------]

what a good chicken she is not many youngsters will help take care of other chicks . she hasnt had the chance to grow on her own wow have you been lucky you should whatever it takes to help the hen .she had time to help you you be proud to have a chicken like her and help her .

 

[chickengrrl82]

what a good chicken she is not many youngsters will help take care of other chicks . she hasnt had the chance to grow on her own wow have you been lucky you should whatever it takes to help the hen .she had time to help you you be proud to have a chicken like her and help her .

She is so precious! Would never peck a soul (not even me when I give her a kiss on the head!). Bad in chicken world...but just would go above and beyond.

I have seen her puff up as much as she can to accommodate 5 chicks, and she doesn’t mind if 1 walks alongside her while she walks around.

She’s due for a lavender aromatherapy bath soon (sometimes I can tell the babies drive her nuts but I’ll turn on the lamp and they’ll love it), but when I caught her from the coop she settled right into my arms.

I then put some rose water in her feathers and we fell asleep on a recliner next to the fireplace. First and second day I met her!

Come to think of it, she gave up eating and drinking to help a very small and sick chick who later passed from the same brood stay warm under her for a day or two (the one chick just couldn’t have survived...something was wrong and her sisters were rejecting her for some reason...I tried to take special care of her, but found her dead after her falling in some water).

I tell Margaret every day she’s loved and that she needs to teach those other chicks a lesson, but that everyone’s strengths are different and maybe her strength is to love.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

I am shocked that such a young pullet is being so motherly. I understand when you have one that is so gentle and will let just anyone run over them. I agree with you that it's concerning that she doesn't even move when she's pecked. Sometimes when I've noticed similar behaviors in my flocks, I will watch before I react to anything because they do peck at each others faces often, and a lot of times it's not in a mean way, although it definitely looks like it at first. My girls sometimes groom each other's faces a lot more rough than what I expect. Does Margaret have any injuries from pecking? With your concern about her not knowing how to be a chicken, they're instincts are incredibly strong, so I bet they're there, but maybe just haven't kicked in. With that said, I'd want her to be able to see the Flock, so she can learn and hopefully get those instincts to kick in. I agree with previous posters about getting her in a "see but no touch" setup Stat. You'll definitely need to keep a close eye on her, especially if you're concerned about one of the young chicks pecking her, but I know that won't be an issue because it's obvious that she's the apple of your eye (who could blame you? She's gorgeous and with a personality like that, what's not to love?). If it makes you feel more comfortable, you could continue to bring them in at night but nighttime routines are part of being a chicken as well. With that said, use your own instincts as far as the youngest. You've got this! Best wishes with your flock.

P. S. I should add that I have minimal experience, so hopefully others will back up or clarify any information

 

[sunrise.superman]

My cousin brooded a pile of chicks for both of us and when I was time to take the 7 or 8 that were mine she gave me a young bantam pullet, a cute little d'Uccle, that was the very bottom of the pecking order in her flock. Always ostracized and picked on and left out in the cold literally on outside roosts only. I integrated her with the younguns and did a look, don't touch with the rest of my flock. Over about 5 or 6 months the d'Uccle blossomed. She had her own littles flock so she wasn't alone anymore, she learned to "chicken" with the youngsters and now a full year later she's risen to upper middle of the pecking order, is sweet to hens under her and is a great little layer. I think her having her own crew for a while really helped her finally "get it".

 

[chickengrrl82]

I am shocked that such a young pullet is being so motherly. I understand when you have one that is so gentle and will let just anyone run over them. I agree with you that it's concerning that she doesn't even move when she's pecked. Sometimes when I've noticed similar behaviors in my flocks, I will watch before I react to anything because they do peck at each others faces often, and a lot of times it's not in a mean way, although it definitely looks like it at first. My girls sometimes groom each other's faces a lot more rough than what I expect. Does Margaret have any injuries from pecking? With your concern about her not knowing how to be a chicken, they're instincts are incredibly strong, so I bet they're there, but maybe just haven't kicked in. With that said, I'd want her to be able to see the Flock, so she can learn and hopefully get those instincts to kick in. I agree with previous posters about getting her in a "see but no touch" setup Stat. You'll definitely need to keep a close eye on her, especially if you're concerned about one of the young chicks pecking her, but I know that won't be an issue because it's obvious that she's the apple of your eye (who could blame you? She's gorgeous and with a personality like that, what's not to love?). If it makes you feel more comfortable, you could continue to bring them in at night but nighttime routines are part of being a chicken as well. With that said, use your own instincts as far as the youngest. You've got this! Best wishes with your flock.

P. S. I should add that I have minimal experience, so hopefully others will back up or clarify any information

Yes, I’d like her to stay with her own “people”...because it’s been a labor of love (to put it kindly) to have everyone inside. I had no experience with chickens and just thought because she was so nice - and my relative had brought home pullets from the store - that I could put them together and her being the bigger one would mean that she’d take care of them.

I just kind of shoved one of the chicks under her wing and showed her that then being in her butt feathers was alright, and she’s been “mom” ever since!

That was after her initial hour freak out of being surrounded by these “strangers” at the time!

I saw her peck one of them a little for food so maybe she’s standing up for herself more than I think!

She will puff up and have them under her wings, crawling on top of her...whatever! That picture was yesterday when their tub got cleaned (oh no - fresh bedding!!) and everyone was out from behind her wings all at once even though they had snuggled in. They weren’t happy I was cleaning up the surrounding area.

I do take her out from time to time since they do drive her a little nuts. She gets upset and starts clucking, but once I get her away from the panicked chirps for a while she will calm down and finally be let to be a baby herself and I’ll give her a lukewarm rose water or lavender bath and then snuggle.