when to put two sets of chickens together in one coop

[farmert]

My flock has been reduced to three red sex link hens and one giant Amer. rooster who get along. One of the hens is small and molting; another is very small and the third is pretty normal. These have all been in in the main coop.

About four weeks ago I rescued two very large RIRs, one is a bully and whenever all the hens are together, the one molting and the other small really get picked on-- so much so that they run away.

The two RIR have been in a separate coop at night, but I'd like to get them all together before it gets really cold. I'm concerned about them all being in the same main coop together before I let them out in the run in the morning. The main coop would normally house more than six chickens easily, but I'm concerned about that with the two newbies picking on the small ones while still in the coop.

Suggestions please on what to do. The hen who is molting is really scared of the big girls and I don't want her to undergo anymore stress than she already is. Suggestions please on what to do.

 

[Mrs. K]

Pull the worst bully, keep her confined. See if you can get the other one to work into the flock. That's one idea. Sometimes, you have a real mean bird, and the other will follow her lead. Pull her out, and get the rest of the flock to settle.

The other idea, is to pull the two victims. The thing is if you pull these, I am thinking you will need to keep them separated for the winter. But they won't be killed.

Do know, that birds keep themselves warm, it is not shared heat. If they are out of the wind, with good ventilation, they will weather dang cold weather. Think of being at a football game, your coat does nothing to keep your neighbor warm. You tend to huddle together, but that is to block the wind.

Pin less peepers can help.

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Put them on the tow RIR's. These have helped a lot of small flocks work out the aggression.

Truthfully, I would not expect this to work out. RIR's can be very aggressive, and once they have their bluff in, it can be quite hard to break that.

IMO taking on birds you feel sorry for, never seems to work out. Ugh! I hate a flock full of strife.

Mrs K

 

[farmert]

Well, I didn't exactly feel sorry for them -- a friend asked me to take them because she had too many hens already in a very small area. Only when I put them in my ''triage'' coop did I observe that one in particular is a bully and pecks the other RIR.

Thanks for the suggestions. Liked the analogy of the coats at a football game. The two RIRs are on a roost in a covered area but two walls are open to the air.

 

[Mrs. K]

Try the pin less peepers. A lot of people swear by them. Actually, put the peepers on while you have them separated for a couple of days and then let them out with the flock. I would pull out the victims for just a day or two, as you see how they interact with the others, then if that is calm, add back the two victims.

The problem with the victims is that they act scared. And that just draws the bullies attention and the cycle repeats. It is the cycle that you need to break.

Another idea, Make a mini wall on your roost. A piece of cardboard, or even a feed sack suspended from the ceiling, dividing the roost into two parts. Wait till dark, and put the victims on one side, and the others on the other side. Out of sight, is out of mind for chickens. If you use cardboard, you can notch it, so the roost supports part of it. I have even threaded a roost through it.

What part of the country are you from, just a general idea on your page, helps with advice. It is quite different if you are in Texas or North Dakota, and WINTER is really different.

Mrs K

 

[farmert]

Mrs. K -- you are correct about the hen who is molting runs as soon as she is allowed out to free range. BTW, she used to be the head hen and did her own share of pecking on the hen smaller than herself. From what I have observed so far, I think only one of the RIRs is a bully who pecks the other one over food. The triage coop has a lot of space so she can move out of the way. The regular coop is divided into two areas, but one is smaller for roosting only. I could put a divider between the two. At least they can't get to the others until I open the door to the outdoor run which is very spacious. My biggest concern is the hen who is molting and will take into account the other suggestions. I'd like to give her time at least to get her fresh new feathers.

I am in central North Carolina. Thanks for asking.