Is my pekin bantam male or female?

[tinaduffyjames]

So we went and bought 3 new chickens last Sunday to add to our last remaining Omlet hen. We bought a Brahma (10 months), a cuckoo maran (18 weeks) and a bluebell (also 18 weeks).

We divided the WIR in half and put the new girls together in the back half with a dog crate to sleep in with a horse rug over it and a cat carrier also. It has a perch in their half as well. In the front bit we left the Eglu which Edna sleeps in. She also has access to the outside run.

Initial through the fence greetings went quite well but have noticed that the Cuckoo Maran is bottom of the pecking order.

During the day we have been letting all 4 have free range of the garden and Edna the old hen certainly lets them all know shes boss. Even the huge Brahma runs when Edna approaches. Ive had to intervene a few times but generally all is fine. Then they all go back to their run and we segregate the old hen from the others. We are hoping that Edie gets a bit more tolerant of the new ones as she is evil when in close proximity too them, apart from when the fence divides them. Then she is quite happy to have them there.

The problem is, is that the past 3 nights the Cuckoo Maran is either being pushed out or choosing to sleep on the external perch on her own, whilst the brahma and the bluebell are snuggled together in the cat carrier. We made a perch inside the dog crate for her, in case she prefers a perch but she still chooses to jump onto the external perch.

Last night she was right on the end and got soaked as it was raining but still didn't choose to get off. Ive seen her try and join the other 2 but they peck her and there is lots of sqwarking and they drive her out.

I did consider biting the bullet and putting her in with the old hen but am worried she will get picked on even worse .

My concern is that if she stays on the perch on her own, come winter she will freeze to death as it is open to the elements.

Should I be worried? Is there anything I should be doing? I lifted her off the one night and put her in the dog crate but next night she was back on the perch. also in the dog crate she will be by herself. Obviously the aim is to get them all together in the eglu eventually but its early days yet and I don't like her chances against Edna and the other 2 together.

Has anybody experienced this before?

[sjp]

I'd put in with the other 2 just as it gets dark the sqwarking is part of the pecking order once she's in there and it's dark it should be ok but it could take a while for them to settle if she doesn't start to settle I'd be tempted to put her in with the older girl again do it just after dark. as for your older girl she's just treating the youngsters like I'd my older girls do most times it looks and sounds worst than it is as long as no blood is drawn and she's not enjoying terrorising them try to leave them to it.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I would probably try putting her in with the others, as sjp says.

 

Don't worry too much about them sleeping outdoors. All of mine have chosen to sleep on perches in the WIR for a couple of years now (even through that horrendous winter 2 years ago) and haven't come to any harm. Having said that, I do put up perspex panels in the winter to protect them from the worst of the rain and wind.