Ain't Nobody Here Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 My poor little Araucana, Layla, has been part of the gang since a successful integration over a year ago. Now, though, she spends most of her time up high in the WIR and I've seen the others having a right go at her whenever she goes near them. Could it be because she's started laying again? Seems odd but the two things have coincided . Not sure what I can do about it. She doesn't seem be getting injured as she gets away from them but I feel so sorry for her . I've just been watching her and she seems quite distressed, pacing up and down all over the high up planks and obviously desperate to go down to ground level but never quite making it (the others are freeranging and paying her no attention) . I do have a little pot of food for her at half way height so I think she can eat OK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
percy049 Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 I remember when we got our first hens, they used to get on fine and never used to fight. After about a year they started pecking the hen at the bottom of the pecking order, which they never did before Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purplemaniacs Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 When I first had my girls they would get along and then for no apparent reason they would fall out and bully one, it seemed to be something to do with coming into lay, I decided. My 5 hybrids have been happy for years with Latte my old girl as boss but things in the WIR have changed and the other 4 have pecked Latte, I had to seperate her for a few days, she went back and was fine for a week or so and then they had pecked her and made a small wound so she is now enjoying life in the utility, with lots of treats and a warmer enviroment. As it has been so cold I have not put her back with the others so I will have to introduce her slowly or i may try her with my single ex batt and see how they get on. They are funny how they will get on ok for ages and then suddenly something changes and they fall out. Chrissie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suebee Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 I sometimes feel I lack the necessary skills in the language of "chicken", which I believe is very complex. Coming into lay, moulting, new chooks, any environmental changes, I think, have an influence on our chooks' pecking order, in ways we can only try to understand. I suppose the pecking order is life or death to chickens, and changes probably only have to be subtle... possibly going un-noticed by us, to trigger a pecking order re-shuffle, based on who's who at the time. One of my chooks deliberately flaps her wings at me. I don't know what this means, but I interpret it as a greeting of sorts. She's not top chook. Either that, or she's challenging me for my position in the pecking order. I always respond by briefly flapping my coat, which she watches intently!..... I often wonder what I've said to her! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 I noticed when my lot started to come back into lay this year that there was a bit of aggro between girls that are normally friends. there was also a bit of movement in the pecking order in number one house were most of the older girls are until they all started to lay, but even now some off the younger lower ranking girls do try to strong arm the higher ranking girl when they want to lay and most time they win which results in a lot of ranting and swearing from the loser. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted March 27, 2013 Author Share Posted March 27, 2013 Ah, perhaps it's all hormonal and will settle down then. Fingers crossed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennydavies Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 After five years of Hen - keeping I have come to the conclusion THEY'RE ALL BARMY !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 After five years of Hen - keeping I have come to the conclusion THEY'RE ALL BARMY !!! no chickens are sane we're the BARMY ones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted April 6, 2014 Author Share Posted April 6, 2014 It's been just over a year but I've noticed that today little Layla has been permitted to spend time with the others and they haven't attacked her . No idea why, just pray it lasts . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted April 6, 2014 Share Posted April 6, 2014 I hope they continue to let your little one join in. I think Spring has something to do with how they feel. All of mine, when I had the 6 of them, got on quite well until the Spring came last year. Then all hell broke loose. I ended up with the 4 I have now who have got on extremely well and everyone's feathers grew back nicely, but then Spring came and one of them has pecked all of Suzie's neck feathers off. I have no idea why. I think Spring, eggs and chicken PMT are the problem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolly Posted April 6, 2014 Share Posted April 6, 2014 Barmy is right! it must be something in the air, my newest girl Grace has been successfully integrated since October but over the last few days the boss has been putting her in her place again, to the point where I saw feathers fly yesterday! There's been a lot of submissive poses by Grace today too, she's not trying to take over, she just wants a quiet life! They've all been acting a bit strange today actually, lots of sitting around on the lawn together then when it was time to go into their run, they wouldn't come for their treats, which has never happened before Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted April 6, 2014 Share Posted April 6, 2014 My lot always used to bully anyone that went broody. I wonder if it's to do with a change in smell? Hormones giving off a different scent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purplemaniacs Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 My first lot of hybrids who lived in an eglu with extended run used to be quite happy and then suddenly start to bully one, I came to the conclusion that it was to do with laying or not laying for a period of time. Now my hybrids are in the WIR I don't notice this happening any more, perhaps because they have more room. Coming into lay for the first time definitely affected the pecking order. Chrissie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickabee Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 I've had the opposite. I have 2 araucanas. One came back into lay a few weeks ago. She changed from a church mouse to a noisy bully Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keyhole kate Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 (edited) After six years of hen keeping I have come to realise there is just no way of figuring them out they are a total mystery when it comes to the pecking orders and psyche I have never had a bully though I have had a who took the role of top hen so seriously she grew spurs that I used to have to trim she stopped any sort of disagreements out firmly and immediately I lost her to old age last week and so expected some changes in the behaviour of my girls but no they don't seem to have even noticed she gone go figure Edited April 8, 2014 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 My lot always used to bully anyone that went broody. I wonder if it's to do with a change in smell? Hormones giving off a different scent. That is something I've noticed too. Gemma is the boss and Suzie - the pecked one - just loves being broody and gets bossed about even more. Strange things chickens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
