What would you guys do? im so torn :(

[aubreynoramarie]

I posted something similar in my local thread because i was looking to rehome my E.E., Darla, but now im feeling so torn and i dont know what to do! who woulda thought i would get attatched to my chickens so quickly??

any of you have any advice for me and Darla? heres the story...

the reason i wanted to get rid of her in the first place was because her and Lucy were picking on my new silkie Pearl pretty badly, but i found that when i removed Darla from the pen, Lucy was nice to pearl. unfortunately Pearl was already scared of Lucy and wouldnt go anywhere near her and just hid in a corner. poor Lucy wanted company! So i went and bought on of those Barred rocks, Agnes.

as soon as i put Agnes in the pen Pearl came out of her shell completely, and just immediately stopped being scared of Lucy. They havent been acting like BEST buds yet, like Lucy and Darla were (Lucy did everything Darla did) but there is peace and no one seems frightened or uncomfortable.

but I've been feeling so bad for Darla, i dont have an extra pen, so shes just been in the coop all day, then i let her in the backyard to stretch her legs. she seems so lonesome

and it seems she knows her fate! she is letting me pick her up, hold her, its weird. shes not running from me like she usually does (and the other girls do). She even jumped onto my shoulder when i let her out of the coop.

so i though...maybe now that Pearl and Agnes are more comfortable, maybe i can try again. But the second i put Darla in the pen she went straight for Pearl. i dont want pearl to go back into hiding, and i dont want Lucy to start picking on her again, maybe even bringing Agnes into the fun... i know whats right but im falling in love with Darla now that shes gotta go!!

I put her in the run to sleep tonight because i cant stand leaving her to sleep in a cat carrier for another night. i put the carrier in the run with her, and left her a place to roost, but as i closed up the pen and walked out she just followed me and stared at me through the entrance, even stuck her head through the holes like "hey, where are ya going??!"


...what would you guys do? i just havent got the room for a seperate coop and pen. poor, poor Darla. and poor lucy, i think she misses her BFF, haha. am i being too human about this?

 

[PoultryPedia]

Sounds very tough! I'm sorry

 

[easttxchick]

I'd give it a chance unless Darla is REALLY hurting your Silkie.
Establishing a pecking order can seem really vicious at times, but it's just what they do.
Adding a new bird in with other established birds causes the "old" birds to feel like they have to show the "new" bird whose the boss. This is the reason why a slow integration process is necessary and why it is better to add more than one bird into a flock(they can't decide who to pick on so they share the picking).
Once Darla is satisfied that Pearl knows who the real boss is, it should get better.
I sure hope it works out for you and your birds-they sure do get close to your heart fast, don't they?

 

[redhen]

I would let them work it out themselves. YOu'd be surprised... once the pecking order is establised.. they will usually be just fine!

ETA... never mind..easttxchick beat me to it....

 

[Wolfwoman]

As long as there's no bloodshed or tons of pulled feathers, they'll be fine. It's what chickens do, if it's not Darla pecking someone, then it will be someone else....

If it gets to the point of feathers and bloodshed, put Darla in chicken jail for a week or so and when she comes back she won't be top hen anymore.

 

[aubreynoramarie]

Quote:
well that does make me feel better, im just worried that when agnes gets older she will pick on pearl and pearl will have NO ONE being nice to her! what do you think the best way to do a re-introduction would be?

i just see peace right now and i dont want to try them together again only to find that if i remove darla again, lucy will have gotten used to picking on pearl...does this make sense?

 

[redhen]

Quote:
well that does make me feel better, im just worried that when agnes gets older she will pick on pearl and pearl will have NO ONE being nice to her! what do you think the best way to do a re-introduction would be?

i just see peace right now and i dont want to try them together again only to find that if i remove darla again, lucy will have gotten used to picking on pearl...does this make sense?

Stop stressing.... leave them alone... they will work it out. Unless you see one being LITERALLY killed... leave them alone....
every time you move them around..you mess up their pecking order... and so they have to keep fighting...

 

[easttxchick]

Honestly, I would get another Silkie for Pearl to buddy around with.
If you add another "different" looking bird, Darla won' know who to pick on!
If you can't do that, just put your cage with Darla in it so that she is where they can all see each other for a few days and then try to let her out with the others. If she continues to pick on Pearl, take a spray bottle and fill it with water and every time she picks on Pearl, squirt her with the water bottle.

 

[greathorse]

Messing with them and moving them around disrupts their natural pecking order. Every time you fuss with them it disorients them so they have to work it all out again. Of course from time to time you have the one that really gets picked on and needs intervention but it is the exception and not the rule.

If I move a rooster from breeding pen to breeding pen out of necessity it makes for a ruckus every time.

Best advice is to leave them be unless someone bleeds.

 

[aubreynoramarie]

thanks everyone. im going to just put Darla back and try not to feel so sorry for Pearl. Shes a month older than all the girls, so hopefully she will start acting her age and stick up for herself!

anyways, i really appreciate the honesty. im just going to take a step back and let nature take its course.