Trouble introducing new chickens

fourchooks · **Joined:** Thu Dec 31, 2009 2:07 pm **Posts:** 2

We started with four hylines two years ago. They all got on very well. Over winter we lost two (No 2 & 3). A friend gave us an Australorp (bigger than the hylines) which promptly fought with No.1 chook, so the Australorp went back. Unfortunately this might have set the scene for "every new chook is an enemy".

Next, we were given two "white farmyard chooks" about 12 months old. They now fight with No.4 hyline but not No.1 ho has them under control but who wanders about the place squarking all the time.

Next move was to get two new hyline pullets which are picked on a bit by everyone but No.1, and particularly by No.4.

The birds roam free during the day, and are separated when we put them back into the run in the afternoon. When the older chooks go in to roost, we put the two new pullets in with them and it all seems to be O.K., but next morning WWIII breaks out and we have to separate them. This has been going on for 2 - 3 weeks now.

Life seems to have become miserable for both the chooks and us. What can we do, will it settle down. Any help will be more than welcome.

purefeather · **Joined:** Wed Sep 29, 2010 6:36 pm **Posts:** 736

G'day ,can you get a lend of a rooster for a while? He should be able to sort the girls out. Nothing like a rooster to complete the social circle.
Even if the neighbours arc up after a day or two about a noise polluting rooster, he may have settled things down for you , then you can give him back if council rules dictate.

wickedwings · **Posted:** Tue Nov 08, 2011 2:35 pm

Is that right? He just puts them all in their place and then they behave themselves. That would be interesting to watch.

purefeather · **Joined:** Wed Sep 29, 2010 6:36 pm **Posts:** 736

Yep, when I've put a rooster in with a group of hens he might have to roll one or two , but that lasts as long as a snow flake in hell. Normally he'll just place himself in between two fighting hens and give them that look, all over red rover.
From my experience, a rooster will go out of his way to belt the crap out of another rooster who he sees as a competitor, but will not hurt a hen under any circumstances.

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

It is interesting to watch a new rooster do battle with the alpha hen and it can go on for hours but in every case that I have seen the rooster will always win and the girls then know their place

Hens and Hobbits · **Posted:** Wed Nov 09, 2011 8:29 am

Our alpha hen is the boss, she pecks the rooster and puts him in his place, he is a bit hen pecked!!!

Sebducks · **Joined:** Wed Mar 11, 2009 3:41 pm **Posts:** 812

It can depend on the rooster also, if he's submissive or overly dominant it won't work as well. Try to borrow one that is going well with other hens don't just go out and get a "spare" rooster from somewhere.

wickedwings · **Posted:** Wed Nov 09, 2011 8:55 am

LOL, got a mental picture now of a "spare" rooster just hanging on a rack with the extra fan belts and radiator hoses. :lol:

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

I'm having the exactly the same problem, but unfortunately can't introduce a rooster due to our council regulations. Although I am tempted.

I have 2 Australorps and a Rhode Island Red who are about 12 months old and have been together in the same coop for the last year. I have been trying for at least a month now to introduce 2 new pullets but the 3 older girls just beat the crap out of them when I try to put them in together. Not in the nesting box at night, all is calm then but of course as soon as it is light, yep, it's WWII & much as I love my girls, I don't know how long I can be out there in my jammies at 5am separating them!

I'm keeping the pullets out for now, but really don't have anywhere else to put them. Also I have just noticed that one of the Australorps has been feather picking the other Australorp and has removed most of the feathers from her neck. They've been getting on fine for the last year, just wondering why this would have started happening now? The one who is being plucked doesn't seem to be objecting though!

It's all so confusing! Am I doing something wrong, or did I just get an interesting bunch of chooks?!

Sebducks · **Joined:** Wed Mar 11, 2009 3:41 pm **Posts:** 812

Feather plucking can be either a deficiency or habit. Introduce calcium in the form of shell grit if you don't already have it, boredom can play a factor in chooks that have no access to free range. Green scraps from the kitchen such as celery tops, some lettuce, apple peelings etc can also help the boredom factor if you can't free range.

On the subject of the new chickens FIONA 1965 what exactly do you mean by WWII do you mean they beat eachother up until one is cowering in the corner with blood or do you mean they have a push and shove and peck at eachother with lots of noise?
If you can free range them I would let your newbies out with them in this bigger environment (its also neutral territory), then I would go in and clean out the pen ie new straw or cane mulch in the living quarters and move the food and water a little thus making the pen "new" then try herding all the chooks into the pen together around feed time/dusk. You still might find the odd fight, even mine who have lived together for many years get on each others nerves at times and have a bit of a feather pulling tiff, if they aren't causing real damage or blood then you may have to let them sort it out a bit so they work out the pecking order for themselves, constantly stepping in means they need to go at it again to sort out what wasn't sorted before if you know what I mean? Of course the flip side is they may never get along and you'll either need two pens or go get rid of the trouble makers.

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