New hens not going into Eglu Go Up

[cookie and muffin]

Hi all, my new omlet chickens arrived this morning. I am new to chicken keeping so I would like some advice. One of the girls is doing a lot of pecking at the other. Every time she tries to leave the eglu the other girl pecks her and she has to go running back in. At what point should I intervene? Do I just have to let them get on with sorting out the pecking order themselves. The poor little one has already got some feathers missing.

[jennym]

Hi, and welcome to chicken-keeping! Congratulations on your new hens.

 

I'd probably leave them to it, under your supervision if possible, unless there's blood drawn. If a chicken sees blood things can go badly. However most groups sort themselves out without harm, although it looks scary!

 

You might want to read through the posts on new introductions - it will help you understand what is going on and what to expect, and what to do if things don't go well.

 

Best of luck, and don't forget - pics always welcome!

[cookie and muffin]

Thanks for replying. It is quite scary to watch. I will keep a close eye out for blood. Is the anti pecking spray i have seen any good?

[squiffs]

Thanks for replying. It is quite scary to watch. I will keep a close eye out for blood. Is the anti pecking spray i have seen any good?

 

Not really, I've found for pecking order related pecking the anti peck spray isn't very useful - it's more for feather pecking through boredom I think. As the above poster said, leave them to it and it will settle down/become less vicious once the bully chicken has established herself as 'top chook'.

[cookie and muffin]

Thanks squiffs. I thought things may have settled by this morning as it all sounded quite peaceful once I had locked them in for the night, but it is no better this morning. I rang omlet for advice too, and they suggested let them out into the garden for a little while so at least cookie can get to the food and water. The pecking was not as bad when they where out, but I have had to put them back in now and the pecking started again straight away. In everyone esles expereince, how long do they take to settle. Poor cookie just looks really scared all the time.

[jennym]

Put out extra bowls of food & water - scuffles often start up over protecting food, and your bully can't guard/eat out of them all at once.

[cookie and muffin]

Thanks, I have done that, but she just ssquawks and pecks cookie away whenever she goes to either of the bowls! I have left the bowls in there anyway. Just given muffin a chunk of apple to distract her and give cookie a break.

[Duncan08]

I got my two omlet girls last March. They got on fine, but then we went and bought another two, a Bluebell and a White star the following week.

Bluebell, (the Bluebell funnily enough) was a few weeks younger than the others, and whilst the White Star fitted straight in Bluebell was badly bullied.

The advice we had from the breeder was to keep them separate for that first day, but with sight of each other, then when it came to bed time, pop them all in together.

So we did.

With more knowledge now we should have taken it more slowly, in such a small garden flock there is nowhere to hide and I would definitely take it slower now.

Bluebell was hounded, wasn't allowed to get food and drink and spent most of her time in the Eglu. We tried the pecking spray, which helped a little, (Chillis face when she got a mouthful was a picture!) and my dad would stand guard with a quick squirt from the hose when the going got tough.

We ended up adding some wire mesh across the end of the Omlet run with bamboo canes to fill out the gaps, her own bowls of food and water, and put in a plastic storage box for some shelter so that she had some space of her own.

She actually seemed to dislike being on her own more than being picked on, and would try hard to break through to be with the others.

After advice on here, we also popped in Pepper, one of our Omlet girls in with her for an hour or so for a little bit of company. She did eventually break through the barricade, and mingled with the other girls, the bullying began to lessen and things settled down. She started to come out of the Eglu more and more and the others would only chase her occasionally.

I would say it took about 3 weeks in all.

Once she started laying things settled down completely and now she is top chook! (Although still sports a bald patch on her tail which has never grown back)

My husband found it very traumatic, I am after a cube so I can increase my flock and my husband is very wary of introducing new members as he found it very upsetting. My dad is building me a WIR and I will keep my Go and some of the run especially for intros and will be going very slowly next time.

The idea of separating them in the run with the Bamboo canes (we used the wire mesh because we already had it) was a really helpful one for us. You just stick them through the wire, just make sure you add extra food and water.

Keep putting them back together at bedtime though.

Stick with it and Good Luck!

[cookie and muffin]

Thanks Duncan. I think because there is just to the two of them, poor cookie is getting all the bullying. I will give it another day and if the situation doesn't show any sign of improvement, we will try the canes across the run. She isn't managing to get out the eglu at all now.

[Duncan08]

I am sure they will become firm friends, it is pretty horrible to watch though.

They don't like being on their own, if you have time to spend with them tomorrow, try a squirt with a water pistol or hose, (Not a soaking, just a quick squirt for surprise, you don't need to squirt directly), at muffin. Whilst they are not the brightest creatures, Chilli, who was our ringleader did stop in her tracks for a while, and did come to associate the hose with being bad, (she would run a mile if you picked it up).

She loves the hose by the way now, and now associates it with making puddles for her to scratch about in, so it won't cause any long term trauma.

When you can't watch over them, try separating them, I doubt either will enjoy it very much for very long and it will give Cookie time to get some food, water and relaxation!

[Maureen Murray]

It is always difficult to integrated new hens to the flock. My advise is to keep them separate but in view of one another for 2 weeks. Then try to get them to feed together using treats in a large round bowl or dish. Things should settle down.

[cookie and muffin]

Ok, I ahve impletmented as many of the suggestiuons as I can. Cookie was very distressed when we seperated them, and she was the one who broke through the barricade to get back to Muffin (the bully). Things seem to settle for a couple of hours but then muffin gets as vicious as ever. When will it get better? Its awful, just awful. Maybe I need to seperate them again, but cookie was making such a miserable noise when we did last time. They are fine when I lwt them out of the run, but I can't be out with them all time. Help!

[chestnutmare]

How much space have they got? Can you extend their run so that the bullied can move away?

[squiffs]

Ok, I ahve impletmented as many of the suggestiuons as I can. Cookie was very distressed when we seperated them, and she was the one who broke through the barricade to get back to Muffin (the bully). Things seem to settle for a couple of hours but then muffin gets as vicious as ever. When will it get better? Its awful, just awful. Maybe I need to seperate them again, but cookie was making such a miserable noise when we did last time. They are fine when I lwt them out of the run, but I can't be out with them all time. Help!

 

Don't panic, the hens feel secure when they're being put in their place. I'm not surprised that Cookie disliked being separated, they have an inherent need to know where they are in the pecking order. As long as blood isn't being drawn you should really leave them to it, it WILL settle down eventually. One of mine was badly henpecked to start with, and when she came into lay you'd never think it was the same chicken... she now terrorises all my other chickens.

[cookie and muffin]

Thanks Squiffs. I suppose it is just normal chicken behaviour and I think I just need to not watch all the time and worry so much. Cookie is laying but it is still quite erratic, Muffin( top chook) is laying most days so far (just found one behind the compost bin!). I will just check every hour or so that cookie is still in one piece and other than that let them get on with it. Cruel to be kind I suppose.

[jackian]

I have not had much bullying with mine ,so I am lucky ..But I thought it would be a problem at some stage as one of mine began to think she could grab all the food and would keep pecking the back of the neck of one till my moved away from the food..

2 food bowls solved that , she could not be in 2 places at once I have read enough valuable tips on here from loads of people to realise it is normal and patience is the key...and the water pistle sorted my girl out.

[chookingham]

I am having a similar problem. I have 9 chooks and Elsie, who is top chook is beating up Amy, (bottom chook) on a regular basis. Last week we took the decision to create 2 flocks - 3 hybrids including Elsie in the Eglu and the 3 orps and 3 new hybrids in the wooden coop. The Eglu run attaches to the end of the wooden run, so we drop an old gate we have into the gap to keep them separated. All has worked well until last night. I was at home for the day so let them all out to free range (they all get on fine when out in the garden). They put themselves to bed and then we shuffle them into the correct coops, but somehow last night we forgot to put the gate back. So woke up to a very badly pecked Amy this morning. I managed to separate off Elsie but Amy looks a mess again. All her tail feathers are gone and so are the quills that had just started to come back. I know it is an instinct thing but I am really beginning to dislike Elsie . I have bought some bumpa bits so I think I will fit one anyway so if this happens again at least she can't do any further damage.

[cookie and muffin]

They are so mcuh calmer today with very little pecking. Clearly, patience (mine) is clearly the key in this situation.

[squiffs]

They are so mcuh calmer today with very little pecking. Clearly, patience (mine) is clearly the key in this situation.

 

 

Good for you keeping calm, it is so sad and distressing to first see it, mine have had s"Ooops, word censored!"s that no advice on this forum could have prepared me for. In time though, you learn when it's going too far and can trust your instincts that everything is fine. Keep it up, they'll be best friends in no time!