Trouble introducing new chickens

MARANMAN · **Joined:** Tue Nov 08, 2011 3:06 pm **Posts:** 38

Unless the fowl is super important I get rid of trouble makes for the good of the whole flock or I isolate it and only used for breeding

fiona1965 · **Joined:** Mon Oct 17, 2011 3:43 pm **Posts:** 12

Thanks for all your suggestions Sebducks. I do have shellgrit readily available for them and I have also added finely crushed eggshell to that in order to boost calcium. Unfortunately I can't give them a lot of room to free range during the day if I am not home, but I have built a run around their coop, so they can get out and flap wings, run around etc. Not sure what else to do regarding the plucking. These two chooks have been together for the last 12 months and it's only in the last 3 months or so this has started to happen. I haven't changed their diet greatly so I am wondering if its a boredom thing.

Regarding the WWII - there hasn't been any actual bloodshed (yet!) but what happens is the older girls chase the younger ones quite aggressively and when they get them cornered, jump on them and peck with a lot of loud squawking etc.

What you said makes sense to me, I do tend to jump in and intervene when I can so perhaps I am doing the wrong thing. I'll just let them go for it and keep an eye on them to make sure there isn't serious damage happening. I will let them out into the yard and try the remodelling of the coop as you have suggested and see what happens when I let them back in.

Will keep you posted!

MARANMAN · **Joined:** Tue Nov 08, 2011 3:06 pm **Posts:** 38

Yes sometimes a change of scenery can make all the difference I hope it does for your girls

johs · **Posted:** Wed Nov 23, 2011 10:36 pm

I started with three girls and I've introduced new birds three at a time to my flock. Each set of three have a pecking order and each set of three pick on all the newer birds. Chickens can be quite nasty to each other. They hide around corners at night to attack the newer girls as they go to bed. :roll:

I got a rooster to help with this. My rooster is a big baby. He's a 5 year old leghorn. One of my girls beat him up when he arrived and he was a bit wary of all the girls of that breed for a while. Took him a couple of months to put them in their place. It has reduced the squabbling but he doesn't break up fights as much as I thought he would.

I am lucky that they have a large yard to free range in all day so they can get away from each other.

Good luck with your girls.

MARANMAN · **Joined:** Tue Nov 08, 2011 3:06 pm **Posts:** 38

Your last point is a very good one because free range can keep the peace with any size flock

fiona1965 · **Joined:** Mon Oct 17, 2011 3:43 pm **Posts:** 12

It is a fascinating process to watch. They aren't chasing them quite so aggressively now, the new tactic is to start chasing them away every time they go near the food and water.

The two little ones have just starting laying and don't really have a nesting box to call their own so I am going to admit defeat and be an indulgent chicken-mummy and get them their own coop.

woohoo · **Joined:** Fri Dec 02, 2011 8:47 pm **Posts:** 1

When I introduce mine I move all of them to a new location and that seems to work well

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