4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[wiblick]

I have 2 eglus and 7 chickens, one of whom is most likely a cockerel

 

On the first night we put the 4 babies in the purple eglu and the three older ones in the blue.

 

Since then the eldest has been trying to sleep in the purple eglu and attacking the babies and not letting them in. So every night I've been taking her out through the egg port and putting her in the blue eglu with the teenagers - where there's a bit of a scuffle but things do settle down.

 

Could she be objecting to one of the teenagers? Is it most likely the suspected cockerel? because if so I'm happy to despatch him sooner rather than later. Although she appears to attack the female teenager the most.

 

She is also limping - an injury sustained at my friend's house, most likely muscular. She is ALSO spending several hours a day in the nest box - I think she thinks she's broody, which is a bit ridiculous considering no-one is laying, not even her.

 

Any thoughts?

 

& should I leave them to it and force the babies to put up with her bullying and make them sleep with her or leave them to perch where they will within the run and hope it all settles down before winter!

[Egluntyne]

How old are the babies?

 

If there is just a minor bit of scuffling when she goes to bed with the others....I'd leave her with them. The will soon sort themselves out.

 

I think I'd also wait till you are a bit more certain that the suspected cockerel is actually a cockerel.

 

It would be such a shame to give it its P45 without being certain.

 

Articles **here** about managing intros.

[wiblick]

Thanks

 

the babies are 11 weeks old. She's fine with them during the day, she just won't let them in the eglu at night. She gets in first and then pecks them as they try to go through the door, and you know they just stand around pathetically! I think I'll just keep moving her back to the blue eglu, she has a go at them too but it quietens down fairly rapidly.

 

Pain the backside having to move her every evening... I wouldn't mind but she knows the teenagers.

 

Aoife