Unsecure chicken perches

[Old Hazel]

Oh - it's all getting very stressful! Numerous visits by a fox who just seems to have discovered us - but apart from that.

 

We've been introducing 6 young (nearly at the point of lay) Sussexes t our original 4 - 2 Marans and 2 Araucanas. Someone here (I'm sorry, I've forgotten who it was) warned me that the Araucanas might be aggressive and blimey were they right!

 

There has been the normal pecking and running around but the big problem is at bedtime. The Araucanas force the poor other girls into the nest box of the Cube. Tonight we sin binned the Araucanas and put them in an Eglu (which is still in the WIR during this transition time). This has solved the problem tonight but will it help in the long run? Can I reform 2 aggressive chickens?

 

Any suggestions would be great. What with the fox hanging around all the time and now this - it's all going pear-shaped

 

Thanks guys!

 

Hazel

[Old Hazel]

I know there isn't a definitive answer but so many of you have lots of experience ...can anyone suggest if chickens learn better behaviour if they are taken away from the others for a while?

 

We just don't know what to do for the best.

 

Thanks for any help

 

Hazel

[Jools]

There are a few options if the problems are only at bedtime.

 

You can train them to sleep in different houses if you want. Keep putting the Araucanas in the eglu and they'll get used to that being their bedroom, which will solve the problem for the others.

 

Or make all the cube roosting space (I'm sure I've read that someone here has done that but I'm not sure how it works as I don't have one) and take the roosting bars out of the eglu, making it the laying house. That gives enough roosting room in the cube for them all even if the Aras are being horrible.

 

But I imagine you have other plans for the eglu so you could divide and conquer. Take the Araucanas away for a while, then when the remaining group have bonded, try reintroducing them to a cohesive group. There is the risk of course that this won't work, or there'll be a new dynamic to contend with!

 

Or grin and bear it and hope they sort sleeping arrangements out for themselves.

 

Who said this chicken malarky was easy!!

[Olly]

It is hard to watch, but I wouldn't worry too much - if the new girls sleep in the nest box, they will probably feel safe as they're separated from the 'old' girls, and it won't do them any harm. As long as no blood is being drawn, I'd just let them get on with it, and there's less likelihood of severe bullying at night, as they tend to just settle down and mutter to each other rather than actually actively pecking. Given time, they will all be getting on better and then you can take steps to block off the next box if you want to stop them sleeping in there.

[Old Hazel]

Thanks Jools and Olly.

 

I know it is silly - just so hard to watch some birds terrorising the others. No blood is being drawn - at least we have that. The Aras are so clever. They try to get into the Cube early and then they push the others into a tiny space as they come in. We think one or two of the Sussexes will lay soon and wonder if the that will change things a bit. Funnily enough, when there were just the 4, the Aras were 3 and 4 in the pecking order. The Marans seem fine with the new girls.

 

We love the blue/green eggs but really won't ever get Araucanas again!

 

Thanks again - you've made me think there is a way forward.

 

Hazel

[Jools]

I'm a wuss too and do what I can to make everyone's life peaceful as I hate to see the effect. When I reintroduced my three broodies last year, my Marans bantie sat at the top of the ladder each evening and wouldn't let them in the house! I had to set up another house for a while until the status quo was re-established.

 

I've also found that the bottom on the pecking order hens tend to be the worst bullies when they see their chance to stir things up. It's like they're getting their own back!

[Old Hazel]

Hi

Interesting that the abused become the abusers!

 

How long did you keep the two houses going, Jools? I was thinking we would keep putting the Aras in the Eglu every night for a week. It's a pain, to be honest, because it means getting up so early to let them out. Before this we left the door open but the Aras will just go and cause trouble again if we do.

 

But I guess we don't have it so bad. I was reading Jammybill's story of a chicken dragging another out of the house by its neck. Even my mean Ara isn't that bad!

 

Hazel