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

[TAJ]

I finally have put my 2*3 hens together after 2+ months, so have 6 all in the cube (with extension). We cleaned out the Eglu & Cube Friday and poultry shielded both. Then we put the new girls in the cube and the old girls in the eglu. They have been free-ranging together for a few weeks now - but Bella is being a big bully to the new girls, chasing them around the garden. Saturday night we put the big girls back in the Cube after dark and all was quite.

 

Bella is still attacking the poor three new girls at every opportunity (do you think a bumper bit might be in order?) but the other two old girls are fine with them. If Bella gets too much two of the new girls fly up to the cube to get away from her and she doesn't follow. However my poor little cream legbar has not quite mastered climbing up the ladder, despite being a good flyer so she ends up trapped in the run with all three old girls and has been really pecked (no blood as yet) - she just sits there and takes it. At this point I have let them out into the garden and the old girls go running off, the two come down from the cube and it is quiet, but I will need to keep an eye on them.

 

The new girls are sleeping in the nesting box and the old girls on the roosting bars.

 

Lets hope they sort out the pecking order ASAP - I had thought about isolating little miss bully, but she will be just the same later on, so I think I need to just let them get on with it (with supervision).

 

Tracy

Edited June 15, 2009 by Guest

[Olly]

I think you're right - let them get on with it, as long as no blood is being drawn. It should settle down.

 

Poor Pipi used to spend the whole day perching at the top of the ladder or on the branch I have in the run, too scared to come down, but it wore off and although she still gets jumped on, there's no real bullying. Someone always has to be bottom of the pecking order.

[The Dogmother]

Let me know if you want a bumpa bit Tracy; I have a couple lurking at home.

[TAJ]

Claret - I have pm'd you about a bumper bit.

 

Two nights down and at 11 am today I gave in - the young ones hadn't been out of the cube since going to bed 7 pm last night. There was a noise earlier on - Nutmeg wanted to lay and they were not moving out of the nesting box. They did get out and sit on the roosting bars whilst she laid and then obviously went back in the nesting box. Next I here more noise and they are all in the cube! Nutmeg having laid, but still in the nexting box, with all three new girls in with her! Bella (the bully) was perched in the circle entrance to the nesting box - not able to get in as the nesting box already had 4 chickens in it and she was pecking the three new girls. Meanwhile Rye was borking away by the cube door.

 

I tried to grab bella so the three new girls could get out of the nesting box, but she was really having a go at them. So I grabed her out through the eggport and stuck her in the eglu & run on her own. Consequently I now have 5 chickens all in the cube run living happily together with no fighting and all able to drink & eat. Bella seems to be fine in the eglu on her own, eating the grass looks quite happy.

 

So what should I do now? Part of me feels I am just putting off the inevitable and I should just let them get on with it, then I think if the 5 of them can bond first and I re-introduce her in a couple of days with a bumper bit fitted things might be better.

 

Any suggests?

 

Tracy

[indigopurple]

I only have three chickens but I had bowls of food and water everywhere in the run and it seemed to calm things down.

 

I was told though to try and isolate the bully a little bit in order to get the other two a little more bonded so it might work keeping her in the eglu. Maybe put her in the cube tonight and see how it goes. Could you let the other chickens free range around her in the eglu? x

 

I am all very new to this so my advice may be useless.

 

It is hard watching them sort the pecking order out.

[TAJ]

I only have three chickens but I had bowls of food and water everywhere in the run and it seemed to calm things down.

 

I was told though to try and isolate the bully a little bit in order to get the other two a little more bonded so it might work keeping her in the eglu. Maybe put her in the cube tonight and see how it goes. Could you let the other chickens free range around her in the eglu? x

 

I am all very new to this so my advice may be useless.

 

It is hard watching them sort the pecking order out.

 

I am not saying I have gone OTT on food and water stations, but they have a grub/glug, a 3kg and 6kg hanging food containers, plus additonal 4 litre and 18 litre water containers, plus a peckablock and a bordem buster pecking ring. They are fine that they can get to food/water if they are in the run, but they are too scared when she is around to stay in the run - I did think I could put food and water in the cube on the roosting bars, but I think then they would never come out and integrate!

 

I have had the new lot since early April and the Eglu was in the middle of the others free range area since April and they have been free ranging together for a month+. The real issue is she will not leave them alone if in the cube run with them.

 

Nightime is not an issue, or free ranging, but I have to know they will be OK together in the run when I am at work and I haven't got that confidence to leave them as yet.

 

Tracy

[Egluntyne]

I took on a hen recently, that was a bullly in a previous existence. I isolated her for a couple of weeks and put a bumperbit on her, and now she is as good as gold, and plays nicely with the others, so I'd say do both.

[TAJ]

I took on a hen recently, that was a bullly in a previous existence. I isolated her for a couple of weeks and put a bumperbit on her, and now she is as good as gold, and plays nicely with the others, so I'd say do both.

 

Claret is sending me a bumper bit, so Bella will be fine in the Eglu & run until we have that and it is fitted - she can see the others, just not attack them - I wouldn't mind, but she has never pecked one of the original 2 all the time we have had them. It is not as if the new girls are approaching her - she is seeking them out, even if they are sitting away from her - she needs to learn a lesson I think.

 

Tracy

[TAJ]

So this is the happy scene this afternoon - without the bully I do not have three girls sticking together in a corner from front to back = nutmeg (old girl), Surrey (new girl), Punk Head (new girl), Velder (new girl) and at the back the white bit is Rye (old girl)

 

 

There is a link to more photos here: .viewtopic.php?f=5&t=47045

 

Tracy

[TAJ]

I have 5 chickens huddled up on the roosting bars together to go to sleep so no new girls quivering in the nesting box afraid of the big bad hen. Even the cream legbar got up the ladder on her own.

 

On the downside I have one bully who paced up and down for a long time before taking herself to bed on her own in the eglu and now there is a thunder storm and I feel really guilty

 

Lets hope the other 5 carry on integrating and I can get her back in a few days.

 

Tracy

[The Dogmother]

That's good news Tracy.

 

I bunged the bumpa bits in the post last night, so they'd have been collected this morning. You shoudl get them tomorrow, first post.

[TAJ]

That's good news Tracy.

 

I bunged the bumpa bits in the post last night, so they'd have been collected this morning. You shoudl get them tomorrow, first post.

 

Many thanks. I let them out free ranging this afternoon and felt sorry for her and let her out in the garden as well and she went for them, but not as much as the day before, whereas the other two were even staying with them. It was noticeable when Bella attacked they ran back to stay with the other 'old girls'. So I think another day in the cooler for her and a bumper bit and then we can try her in with them again.

 

Tracy