When will the Roo calm down with new hen of flock?

[aart]

Okay....Well......You basically tossed her into a wolf pen.....

I'll assume this comment is in response to my giving the OP some tips on searching BYC.

No, I didn't "toss (them) into a wolf pen"...I gave them a tool to search for more info so they can make a decision about their situation.

 

[chickens really]

No.....Not at all...To much drama........I was referring to just letting the Bird out to fend for herself without keeping it confined for a week......I honestly only leave my points, as we all should....?.............


Anyways, I hope the OP gets things under control....


Cheers!

 

[grnidone]

I feel really horrible. Sick. My new hen died. I think she died of a broken heart, and it was my fault. She just sat down and wouldn't move today. I brought her inside to warm her up (it was cold) and she seemed to like the warm heater vent.

I took her back outside and she just sat on the ground not doing anything. I fenced in the Roo and put lots of treats around her. The other hens came up and ate the grain and I thought that if she was surrounded by that normal chicken behavior it might just trigger something. She just put her head down and slept. After an hour of this, I went over to her and picked her up and tried to get her to move, to walk, to do *something.* She just looked up at the sky and took her last breath.

I performed CPR. She just hated everything here.

My two hens weren't mean to her at all.

Please don't hate on me. I f*cked up big time and I'm feeling really awful. I'm never getting just one hen again. If she had a friend, maybe she would have been OK. If I'd have put her in a cage away from the others she might have been OK. If If If...

I've been crying off and on all day. I just feel so guilty that she died because of me.

 

[bobbi-j]

I feel really horrible. Sick. My new hen died. I think she died of a broken heart, and it was my fault. She just sat down and wouldn't move today. I brought her inside to warm her up (it was cold) and she seemed to like the warm heater vent.

I took her back outside and she just sat on the ground not doing anything. I fenced in the Roo and put lots of treats around her. The other hens came up and ate the grain and I thought that if she was surrounded by that normal chicken behavior it might just trigger something. She just put her head down and slept. After an hour of this, I went over to her and picked her up and tried to get her to move, to walk, to do *something.* She just looked up at the sky and took her last breath.

I performed CPR. She just hated everything here.

My two hens weren't mean to her at all.

Please don't hate on me. I f*cked up big time and I'm feeling really awful. I'm never getting just one hen again. If she had a friend, maybe she would have been OK. If I'd have put her in a cage away from the others she might have been OK. If If If...

I've been crying off and on all day. I just feel so guilty that she died because of me.

Or - and I'm thinking this might be closer to what happened - there was something wrong with her in the first place and that's why the rooster went after her. Quite often, animals can sense when something is wrong with one of their species and try to eliminate it

Hundreds of thousands of people integrate "just one hen" and have no problem whatsoever other than the normal pecking order drama. I have integrated hens just the way you have - put them in the coop and let them work it out. Never had one die. No one should be hating on you. You didn't do this. The more I think of it, the more I'm convinced you had a bird with something wrong on your hands. Now there will be people who say you should have quarantined, but don't let that get to you. Not many people actually do that correctly and still manage to keep their flocks healthy. You did the best you could with what resources you had.

Yes - "if" you'd have put her in a cage it *might* have been OK. It also might not have. SOMETIMES - not always, but SOMETIMES putting a chicken in a "look but don't touch" cage in the run so the other chickens can get used to their presence can reduce - maybe eliminate, but not necessarily - pecking order issues, but as a rule, there is still some chasing and pecking once they're sharing the same space. It's the way of chickens. And here's the thing - it really does bother us more than it does them. Chickens know what chicken society is like. We as humans want it all to be warm and fuzzy and sweet. It's not. It can get mean and ugly and sometimes vicious.

Now - dry your tears, get a cup of hot cocoa or tea, and quit beating yourself up. She did NOT die because of you.

 

[lazy gardener]

Your set up is too small for the number of birds you have. When you have all females, the run space you have might be big enough for 3. Add a roo to the mix, and IMO, you should have twice as much space, and also have plenty of places where she can get out of his line of sight. I'd remove the roo for a while. Perhaps even permanently. How big is the coop???

 

[chickens really]

Do not blame yourself......Chickens carry disease and under stress the symptoms come out....As stated, she was probably sick already....

We all learn as we go.......I also agree that the pen/coop should be bigger....Possibly rethink the Rooster?


Best of Luck..


Cheers!

 

[aart]

No.....Not at all...To much drama........I was referring to just letting the Bird out to fend for herself without keeping it confined for a week......I honestly only leave my points, as we all should....?.............


Anyways, I hope the OP gets things under control....


Cheers!

My error then...might be good to quote who you are responding to....less confusion and misunderstanding that way.

 

[grnidone]

Regarding the coop size:

I've had the Roo and the other two for 6 months and they get along GREAT.

The Roo doesn't overbreed the hens, and, when he does, he's gentle and they squat and it's done. He doesn't even pull feathers or combs.

If I have to handle the Roo (which he hates and creates a ruckus), the hens actually get upset and will come over and peck me. He's good to them, protects them and looks for food for them and coo-coos for them to come over when he finds a worm or some corn.

I guess I thought he'd be OK with a new hen because he's so good with the ones I have now.

The only thing I can think of is that both hens and Roo were relatively young and kind of matured together. In fact, I didn't see him breed either one of them for a few weeks after I got them all together.

I still feel sick about the little hen, so I doubt I will introduce any new hens to the mix anytime soon.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I've had roosters attack new hens. Some don't want anymore, some see them as intruders, some will target birds that are off. I'm sorry you lost your hen. It is always better to introduce 2 at a time minimum. Chickens bond as chicks to other clutch mates. Adult birds don't form those tight friendships. Unfortunately many things I learned were also by making mistakes. Sorry again.