esjay Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 Hello, Has any one any advice on introducing new chickens. We had two chickens but unfortunately one died. We felt sorry for the remaining chicken 'Onion', who is just under a year old now, so we bought two young ones for company. But at the moment Onion is being a bit of a bully, obviously sorting out the pecking order and sorting out who's boss. We have Onion in the garden during the day and keep the young ones in the run but they are together at night. She is okay sleeping with them but all hell breaks lose when she wakes up!! On wet days we sit in the run with them so the young ones can come down off the perch and eat, c'os Onion will not share. Is this something that will eventually sort itself out as they get bigger? Any advice gratefully received. esjay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 not had this experience myself yet, but I've been reading up on this as I'm planning to introduce new chickens in August. If you lookaround on Chicken FAQ, or search 'bullying', you should find some other threads on this? Received wisdom seems to be that they will settle down eventually, and as long as they are not actually drawing blood, then you can sort of leave them to it - but it is horrible to watch, apparently. I'm sure someone else will be along soon who has got some real advice to give! good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhapsody Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 I would say multiple food/water stations,widely spaced- get established chook to learn to share by scattering sweetcorn over a fairly large area (she cant defend it all) and let them all freerange together. I bring the glug and grub out and hang them on the outside of the run during freerange time so my newbie doesnt get cornered. I did resort to an anti-peck ring for the worst offender and that has really helped, I also covered the new chook's head in Tee Treeoil to deter pecking. Hope that is of some use Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esjay Posted July 2, 2007 Author Share Posted July 2, 2007 hello thank you for the advice, hadn't thought of tea tree oil, worth a try and I did not know of an anti peck ring and I have been trying so hard to find info. I have just ordered some glug and grub pots. I am a bit worried about letting them free range together at the moment because when the bullying starts the young ones are capable of jumping over our garden fence!! thank you very very much for advice, rummaging aroung for tea tree bottle now and will look into an anti pecking ring. esjay ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah 2 Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 I've introduced 2 new chickens the only time they don't really argue is when they're free ranging. I would definitely reccomend this. Mine free range all day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jill Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 I have found the same - they don't argue when they are free ranging. However I have just got a cube and it came with two new chickens so I have been keeping them in the cube and run and letting my other three live in my old eglu and free range around them. I did this for a week and now have let the new ones out to mix and although they get the odd peck if they overstep the mark the old girls are being pretty good with them. Slow but sure certainly worked this time. The only problem is if you have any way of keeping them apart for a week. Now I let them choose where they want to sleep and they are swapping about at the moment but I think soon I will close up the eglu and move them all into the cube. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N&J Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 We introduced 2 new chooks to our 2 older ones about 10 weeks ago. At first we tried the 'put them all in together and let nature take its course' approach, but realised this was too traumatic for all concerned (us as well as the chooks), so we separated them during the day (two old chooks stayed inside the run while the other two free-ranged); then once the older two had gone to bed we put the new ones in through the hatch door. We then had to get up early each morning to let the new ones out! We did this for about two weeks til we couldn't stand the early mornings any more and decided to let them all get on with it together. There was lots of chasing, pecking (old chooks picking on new ones) and squawking. This probably lasted for about two weeks, and it was really quite hard to watch. Mavis in particular was a real bully, especially to Deirdre . After approx 4 weeks of us getting the new chooks, all seemed to pretty much settle down, although even now the two original chooks will peck the new ones if they don't want to share their food! It just takes perseverance and a bit of a hard heart I'm afraid, you just have to keep telling yourself that it's nature and they have to establish the pecking order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esjay Posted July 3, 2007 Author Share Posted July 3, 2007 Hello Again Let all chickens into garden to free range together and Onion just started chasing them where ever they went, wondering what they had to scratch for that she didn't! It gave her a lot of exercise but one of my young ones managed to jump up onto the neighbours fence!!! Thankfully she came back down our side when we had herded Onion away - phew. I'm hoping when they grow bigger things will improve. Thank you for sharing your experiences with us. esjay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Watch Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 Hi Esjay, Pleased to hear you've got 2 new chickens. Good that there are 2 of them as Onion can only chase 1 at a time I expect. My 1 new chicken was attacked simultaniously by all 3 older chickens who pinned her against the fence, jumped on her, pulled out her feathers and ate them. Thats why I left her wings unclipped so she could get away from them. When I was at work they were separated. But free ranging wasn't too bad. The above sounds awful (and was hard to watch) but the real nastiness only lasted 8 days (may have been shorter if I had been brave enough to let them tough it out). Everything is just fine now. The new one is at the bottom of the pecking order and the older ones remind her of that probably just one day a week when they decide she won't be allowed to get near the treat bowl that day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esjay Posted July 4, 2007 Author Share Posted July 4, 2007 Hi Oh gosh, at least it hasn't been that bad. I get woken up in the morning with Onion kicking the 2 youngs ones out of bed - lol. I just worry now that they are getting enough to eat. Onion free ranges all day so they can come down off their branch to feed. I haven't clipped their wings yet either for the same reason, so they can escape from Onion but their dropping are still very moist and runny, getting me worried now. esjay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
