newcountrygirl Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 Thought things were going too well. Today i have had to put Gladys in the eglu run - she was terrorising the newbies. I dont understand it they all troop into the henhouse and settle down for the night but once its daylight Gladys wont let the newbies near the food and water. The other two mostly tolerate them with the occasional peck to keep them in line - but Gladys is serious. If this carries on i may well have to find her a new home - anybody want a Silkie/Campine cross? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angeluk69 Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 How many feeders/drinkers do you have? I recently got some new girls and had to make sure I had 2 lots of both, just so it gave everyone a chance...afterall 1 bully can't be in 2 places at once Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackian Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 How many feeders/drinkers do you have? I recently got some new girls and had to make sure I had 2 lots of both, just so it gave everyone a chance...afterall 1 bully can't be in 2 places at once I agree with angel. It took 3 weeks with one of mine being really nasty...she did not want to be bottom chick any more. I had 3 tubs of water and 3 of food all in different places. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newcountrygirl Posted August 31, 2012 Author Share Posted August 31, 2012 I have two lots but Gladys the naughty hen chases the little ones round the back of the henhouse and makes them stay there. I tried putting food round the back for them which did work but felt really sorry for them being stuck round the back most of the day. As soon as I took gladys out the others were fine with them. Truth to tell i have never really liked Gladys - she always has had a really mean sort of look to her and doesnt like being picked up or anything. She has always been really aloof. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gongladosh Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 if the young ones are really young, you may have to keep them separate a little longer. Really, you don't want them mixing until the young ones are 20-22 weeks (POL), if they're younger than that, they may take a bit of a kicking... If they're POL, they will still get a pecking for a couple of weeks - as long as blood isn't being drawn, I'd be tempted to leave them to fight it out. It can look a bit violent when a pecking order is being (re)established but it's how chickens work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charly1979 Posted September 3, 2012 Share Posted September 3, 2012 I am having similar problems with my girls. I have Fliss the oldest, Marilyn, Pricilla (both young POL) and Judith ( a few months older that Prilly and Marilyn). I stupidly introduced Judith on her own (possibly as Prilly came to us on her own and settled easily) However my 3 girls now seem to constantly pick on Judith (even though physically she is bigger) She is now always on her own and escapes at any opportunity yet at bdetime they are all happy to snuggle up. Im toying with perhaps getting another chuck introducing her to Judith and hoping they can make a solid friendship but wouldi be making more problems ? Mind you it has only been 2 weeks I just hate seeing one on its own mind you Im still not 100% sure that Judith is in fact Judith and not Jude !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newcountrygirl Posted September 3, 2012 Author Share Posted September 3, 2012 Ha ha - like the bit about Judith and not being sure. I have now segregated Gladys - she is in the Go and we have moved it to the other side of the shed so she cant see the other. I am going to leave her for a couple of days - then try again. I am still thinking of rehoming her though - cos she has always been my least favourite and all the others seem to be ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackian Posted September 3, 2012 Share Posted September 3, 2012 It's funny how we have favourites ,when we got our new two in January this year One was Rosie who is the sweetest little chicken ..and then there was Eva , she was a Miss Pepperpot like one of our other girls who is also lovely and my OH favourite . .From the moment we got her she was evil ! (hence the name ) She laid soft eggs ,spent all the time hogging the food stations , dived into the nest box as soon as one of the others wanted to go in there etc.,.I just could not take to her no matter what .Sadly she broke her leg and it would not mend so she was PTS and sadly also it was no loss .I have had a chicken PTS before and cried for days and full of guilt but not this time ... Sadly Eva was not meant to be one of my little flock . jackie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charly1979 Posted September 3, 2012 Share Posted September 3, 2012 Luckily if Judith doesnt settle she can join my mums clan of chucks where Katherine and Jane her hatching sisters are, mind you when mine had a mini holiday there last week they also picked on Judith. Im pretty sure its a generation thing as its the 3 young uns causing me problems. Never had any of these issues with Tullah and my ex batts Pudding and Pie. Pudds was queen bee and would have them all towing the line by now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charly1979 Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 After searching the garden all of last night trying to find Judith who had cleverly decided to kip in the cat box (never thought to look in there duh !!) and supervising breakfast this morning, then catching Judith on the fence trying to escape into next door I decided to throw caution to the wind and have got myself another girl Connie ! She seems to be happy with Judith although yet to put them in a run together (still fixing my old battered house) Marilyn however is NOT amused at another chicken and her run being a but smaller (although I did extend another part of it with plenty of green stuff etc) My plan is to settle Connie and Judith together and then intergrate them with the others, im hoping then that even of they end up bottom of the pecking order they will have each other ? WIll let you all know how I get on fingers crossed it works otherwise ive just double my workload Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zakjon-98 Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 Glad you found her There will still be a bit of bullying when introducing the two back to the flock but hopefully it won't be as bad if the bullying isn't just directed at one hen. What could work is if you separate the bully and reintroduce her back into the flock afterwards. Is Connie a wyandotte too? Love Judith's name by the way I have a buff sussex called Judith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charly1979 Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 Thanks all seems to be going well Takes us a while to name our girls when I asked Harbey who is 3 the response was Ill have mash and beans ? quite what he thought we were going to do to Connie, then we nearly went for Romoana fortantly Connie was found Connie is a Gold Line, really wanted a Bluebell but they didnt have any left and as I had made the journey I thought I might as well, anyhow I have a nice colourful flock now ! Although I would LOVE a Blue Laced Wynadotte and I did see a place in the Uk that may have some, still saved the page because 5 is enough for now. Wouldnt mind breeding some one day at my mums as she has the room but we are too soft and soppy so would probably never sell them and have a zillion boys, youve heard about old women and their cats well im going to be an old women with a 100 chickens smelling of chicken pooh no doubt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TooLilac Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 New countrygirl - I am so glad to have read your thread and I am wracked with guilt over our beastly bully, FD. We've gone through 6 weeks of trying to integrate two new girls into our existing flock of 4. we have plenty of room in the garden, but one of our old girls, FD, has made it her mission to bully one of the new girls. We've tried lots of distrations, spraying anti-peck spray, we had them side-by-side in two runs for 3 weeks and then lots of FRing time mixing. I've got RSI from squirting the waterpistol to break up scuffles !!! we've got 4 separate feed & water stations (there are only 6 hens, for goodness sake!) SHe's still very agressive towards the new girls - all the others are very sedate and docile, but the victimised girls is very withdrawn and jsut sits huddled up on her own. Finally this morning we decided we had had enough ! I'm re-homing her on Friday at a friend's smallholding where she can FR with a flock of 15, and hopefully be kept in line by their cockerel ! DD2 is very upset, and I feel guilty even though we've tried so many things to keep the peace. It wasn't really an option to isolate her and then re-integrate her in a few weeks. So when I see that you have been through a similar experience, I felt a bit less guilty. a little bit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
good_egg Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 I felt so guilty when I had to regime lulu and coco as they were picking in the babies, but 4 weeks on I know it was the right decision. Our setup did not lend itself to intros and now the babies are happy and I kept in touch with Coco and Lulu and they are happy and lived so all worked out well (still a bit of guilt). Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charly1979 Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 I wouldnt feel guilty about re-homing as you are doing the best you can for your girls and it sounds like you have tried your best to make them all be friends, it was something I thought I was going to have to do, although I would have seen Judith everytime I went up my mums. Luckily my girls are now all together in one big run (a bit earlier then planned but Connie kept getting in with the others. They have established the pecking order and now no longer bullying Judith (phew). Fliss has taken back the role of queen bee and puts them all back in their place when they need it. Connnie is bottom of the line but doesnt seem to bothered by it. she is slow at getting the treats even when I sneakily put them under her beak. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 We have almost always left our girls to get on with it. We recently hatched some Wyandottes, who are now nearly 18 weeks. We put them in with Sid & his ladies in hubby's coop. They sleep all together fine, their is no pecking either. But in the morning, the 2 of the Dotties separate from the gang & go mooching round the eglus instead. They grew up in an eglu & seem to still think it's their home. At dusk they roost on top of the red eglu. We have been crrying them both up to hubby's coop & popping them in, before shutting the pop hole. They are slowly getting there, as for the last couple of nights, they have started making their way up there, but get slightly lost half way. I think in a few more days they will do it. We have also bought some Marans ( on Friday). The 1st night, they roosted on the pigs paddock gate & we had to scoop them up & pop them in. But since then, they have gone in themselves. They get on fine with the rest of the gang. We see the occassional peck from Annie the Ancona & Mini Me, but nothing to worry about. Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newcountrygirl Posted September 11, 2012 Author Share Posted September 11, 2012 Well I have now had to admit defeat. We did everything we were supposed to - kept the newbie and older girls separate but side by side in the runs. Two weeks ago we introduced them. There was a bit of pecking and the first night the older girls wouldnt let the young ones into the coop but after that they have been mostly fine. The exception was Gladys - the Campine/Silkie cross. She was the biggest of all the girls and was making the newbies sit round the back of the coop all day. We took her out and moved her round the other side of the shed to see if it would stop when we reintroduced her. On Saturday I put her back in the run. Matilda who had previously been her ally promptly flew at her and pinned her down and wouldnt let go. Eventually I managed to separate them and get Gladys out. I have now arranged for her to go live with my friend over the road. All the other are getting on fine - so decided it was for the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TooLilac Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 oh gawd, NCG - they like to give you the run around. Am sure everyone will be happier with the new arrangements. FD is still here and still pecking the new girls quick viciously. Am taking her to her new home on Friday, and we are letting all the girls FR during the day til then. On a conscious level I am resigned to it, but that doesn't explain my strange dream about being chased whilst cuddling a chicken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newcountrygirl Posted September 13, 2012 Author Share Posted September 13, 2012 I feel happy that Gladys is going to a new home and it is with my friend. I still feel a bit guilty though. I tried my best to take all the advice offered on here and thought it was going ok at first. Oh well - at least I tried and I am sure my other girls will be happier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TooLilac Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 An update from me too - I took FD to her new home on Friday, and got a text yesterday morning to say her first night had gone ok and her new flock (of 15 hens, cockerels & chicks) were very curious about her. Our remaining 5 girls are very chilled. In fact the only one affected by her re-homing seems to be my youngest and only when she wants to emotionally blackmail me into giving her sweets or more telly !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newcountrygirl Posted September 16, 2012 Author Share Posted September 16, 2012 TooLilac - same here - glad its not just me. All being well Gladys is going to her new home this coming week - it is only across the road so I will be able to go and see her. Yesterday when I was putting her some more food and water is she barged past me and ran around the garden at top speed. After a few times trying to catch her I decided to wait as she always makes a beeline for the greenhouse. Sure enough in she went. I nipped in, shut the door and managed to catch her and put her back. Every time I go past her run I apologise to her - but my hubby says not to be silly cos it's her own fault. Anyway I am just glad harmony has been restored with the rest of my girls. Just waiting for the newbies to start laying now - although it could well be next year before we get any eggs from them - with the time of year now. Hope everything goes well for you. Corinne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
