Guest Posted January 23, 2008 Share Posted January 23, 2008 i'm no expert but i don't think it's right to seperate the little one, seperate the bullies if anything. I have no experience of introducing new girls apart from when we got our 4, who were all new to each other. Maud was a bit of a bully and I seperated her from the rest each time things got a bit lary and it all eventually settled down with the introduction of a 3rd feeding station. I read somewhere that you could try pinning the bully down in front of the others which is supposed to humiliate them and reduce the aggression. I did this a cple of times with Maud but no idea if it worked or if it was a combination of everything I tried but it did all settle eventually. There's always going to be argy bargy when hens that don't know each other are introduced but like i say, dunno about hens of different breeds and sizes so i probably haven't helped Hope it works out though, she's so cute. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 23, 2008 Share Posted January 23, 2008 sorry, looks like i'm too late, should read ALL posts before replying Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen & co. Posted January 23, 2008 Share Posted January 23, 2008 Your new chooks are lovely I'm sorry you had to take the little Poland back but hope your Silkie settles in Karen x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jomaxsmith Posted January 23, 2008 Share Posted January 23, 2008 omg, where does one get such exotic hens? we are in london they are beautifullllllllllllll Cheryl, My local poultry centre - Thornes, near Letchworth - is probably only 45min up the A1 from you (we used to live in Friern Barnet before we moved up this way!) and they have lots of pure breeds. If you PM me I can send you their phone number - they don't have a website at the moment. Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted January 23, 2008 Share Posted January 23, 2008 What a shame about your Poland but I hope the Silkie settles in well. Echo others' comments, what beautiful girls . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatsCube Posted January 24, 2008 Author Share Posted January 24, 2008 Arghhh now Im having the same problem with the silkie She may be a bit bigger and older to stick up for herself but it means she cant fit in the hidy holes as easily as the poland. And its one of the other new girls the calder ranger who is picking on her just keep ripping out her feathers while pinned in a corner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little chickadee Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 You're not having fun with them at the moment Cat are you? Maybe God just wanted you to get the 3 you went for! Our Calder Ranger is way down the bottom of the pecking order, sorry yours isn't so placid. Hope things calm down for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatsCube Posted January 24, 2008 Author Share Posted January 24, 2008 Thats the funny thing the Calder ranger is bottom of the pecking order, so perhaps this is just her way of finding someone else to take it out on. The rest just have a peck and wander off again but she is persistent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickencam Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 We were told that Hybrids were easier to introduce other chickens to, but we had a terrible time in the summer when we introduced 2 new girls. Things are fairly calm now but the 2 white girls have permenantly bare bottoms. And Dippy who is also a hybrid takes feathers from the back and neck of Bertha sometimes. I have to keep a close eye on them and make sure they have greens and things to peck at to distract them. The only way we got any order was to sit by the run for hours spraying the original two with water pistol everytime they attacked, very time consuming and not really practical in the winter. Hope things improve quickly for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatsCube Posted January 24, 2008 Author Share Posted January 24, 2008 Yeah all our purebreeds get on great, they have excellent temprements and never so much as peck each other its always the hybrids, they may be excellent for eggs but in every other way I prefer the purebreeds, less destructive, quieter, prettier and friendlier. Im wondering if I leave it and hope it improves or if I should get her out sooner rather than later. Every day I leave it, the harder it will be for one new girl to settle in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NClaire Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 Can you try taking the Calder Ranger out for a day? I read that you should take the bully out so the bullied can assert their place in the flock, then when you put the bully back, they should hopefully behave! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatsCube Posted January 24, 2008 Author Share Posted January 24, 2008 Thing is the Calder Ranger is a new girl herself and is getting a bit of a chasing so it might make life more difficult for her if I take her out for a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 ...Yeah all our purebreeds get on great, they have excellent temprements and never so much as peck each other its always the hybrids, they may be excellent for eggs but in every other way I prefer the purebreeds, less destructive, quieter, prettier and friendlier. hey, don't dis the hybrids! Beauty is in the eye of beholder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NClaire Posted January 24, 2008 Share Posted January 24, 2008 It's hard to know what to do isn't it! Have you got plenty of feeders around the place? Then the Silkie will at least be able to feed (the Calder Ranger can't guard them all at the same time!). Other than that, I think you just have to let them get on with it. It's horrible to watch isn't it! One of my Goldlines was bullied by the other one for about 3 days, then they settled down and are best friends now. It was awful to see Dopey just shutting her eyes submissively as Honey pecked her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jillus Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 Just to say after the bloodbath of day two there seemed to be a bit of a truce. The new marans had to be encouraged into the temporary house and then last night we discovered the two old girls and one maran had settled in side by side in the Eglu. The other newbie went into the new temp house but we are just leaving them to sort themselves out. Today they are still trotting about in matching pairs but here have been no more stealth attacks and they all seem fine. An old chicken guy I knew told me just to stick them all in together and wait till they had sorted them selves out and it seems to have worked. I suppose it might be different if they had been different sizes though so maybe we have just been lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatsCube Posted January 25, 2008 Author Share Posted January 25, 2008 Yeah the other 4 newbs have settled in well, it just were I have the odd smaller fancier feathered one who doesnt stick up for itself. Im taking the Silkie back tomorrow to swap for a Exchequer Leghorn, who I know will be able to stick up for herself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 Cat, just a thought, have you still got your old cube run? What you could do it pop the run next to your existing run and then put any "newies" that are likely to get pecked into the cube run with the "oldies" in your big run. You could do this during the day so that all the chooks could see and smell each other but no harm could be done. Then when its dark pop the newies in with the oldies in the cube for sleeping. We did this with our introductions and just after a week all the pecking order was sorted out. Just an idea, and if you have already tried this - ignore my waffling!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
