Chicken bald back

[Millie-Annie]

I have four chickens.

 

Ivy - 4 yr old ex-batt, complete top of the pecking order

Meva - a crested cream leg bar, second in command

Octavia - an orpington, never seen her be nasty apart from pecking me

Issey - a Welsummer, goes broody, doesn't lay bottom, of the pile

 

So a friend asked if I would consider offering a home to her 5 year old Brahma, who is now a lone chicken.

 

I said I would try and for a week they have been separated as my run splits in two. They can see the Brahma through the wire, and Ivy and Meva have been attacking her through the wire and she gives as good back.

 

Yesterday I thought would try an introduction. I have done introductions before, but boy this time I was woefully underprepared for what happened.

 

To start with the Brahma attacked them all. They all gave as good back, except Meva who was terrified of her and ran away. Ivy was as bad as I expected, but Issey just flew at her and attacked her. The Orpington is ok, as long as they don't make eye contact then she flies at her.

 

I had them out in the big garden so there was loads of space, but today I tried them just in their run. Its a very big run, it is the whole top quarter of my garden.

 

Ivy is awful, she just chases her and attacks her. She pulls her feathers, despite me spraying her with anti-peck spray. But the worst thing is Ivy and Issey go in mob handed. Ivy brings her down and then Issey just attacks her. They have made her comb bleed twice. I have bathed it, applied wound spray and put her back in her half of the run. Ivy actually enjoys the aggro, typical ex-batt, but it stresses Issey.

 

Will this ever work? I know it is early days, but the Brahma is a beautiful girl and at 5 years old this seems really unfair.

 

I wondered about putting my Crested Cream Leg Bar in with her, so she has a friend, but that seems a bit cruel as Meva is actually frightened of her, and she will go for Meva because she knows she can.

 

I just don't know what to do? HELP please

[Olly]

Firstly, don't panic - I think a week is way too soon for introductions, but all is not lost - you need to go back to the beginning and start again. Keep them separated but in view of each other for at least three weeks, maybe longer before you start free-ranging them together. Try scattering treats like corn along the boundary between them, so they get used to eating near each other. Maybe let 'your' hens out to free range, and let the Brahma explore the run in private a few times as well.

 

Although it looks awful to us, from a hen's point of view it is normal behaviour as they need to sort out the pecking order. Don't let them get to the point of drawing blood, of course, but no matter how long you spend with them separated there will be a kerfuffle the first time they can actually make contact.

 

I have successfully introduced a single older hen, but it is a long s l o w process, just take it very slowly.

[Luvachicken]

I agree with Olly, a week of seeing each other isn't very long.

 

I kept mine separate for ages and then did intros for a few minutes at the end of the day.

After a couple of weeks the few minutes got longer but I stayed in with them the whole time to stop any bad behaviour then we were up to nearly half an hour.

Weeks went by with the time together being notched up too until after about 3 months when they all seemed to get along fine.

 

Treats by the dividing line worked well for me as Olly suggested.

Sadly it does take a long time but it definitely paid off.

 

I hope it works out for you.

[Alis girls]

I read with interest as I want new girls and have got 2 girls who were both loners. One because her mates had died and the other was a bullied hen. In my new WIR it would be a squash to have to section a bit off. A friend puts any new ones in together and lets them get on with it. I am somewhat nervous about it. I have left in the past 2 weeks max before mixing them. Hope it works out.

[Olly]

I've tried both in the past - the 'all in together girls' and the separating-off, but with a single hen the slow and stolid approach is best. If you get a couple of new POLs you can just put them in, but expect to see them hiding behind the Eglu/cowering underneath any cover for several weeks, and you do need to keep an eye for any severe pecking.

 

I use a dog crate inside my WIR for introductions, yes it does squeeze down the size of the run but then they get used to a smaller area so when you eventually let them out, they suddenly have more space.

[Alis girls]

I think sectioning is less stressful for the human but probably less so for chickens. Its tough when you have to work and cant be there to supervise. Anyway will prob wait till end of May when have some time off to keep an eye on things.

[Millie-Annie]

Thank you, i will keep them separate for longer. I just feel sorry for her because she is a very large bird and her half of the run isn't big. My husband suggested letting her have the whole run and free ranging mine, but then they can't get to the nest box to lay, so that worries me. Later in the evening for an hour, when I get home from work, I could do that though so she can at least stretch her legs.

 

When I have done introductions before as soon as they get to the frozen chicken with its head down bit the bullies have walked about, but these two don't, that is when they have drawn blood.

 

Have to say I wish I hadn't been asked to have her. But she made noises about having her 'neck wrung' if not and I couldn't do that.

 

PS someone has just suggested I put the two bullies in the small run and try and integrate her with the other two. What would your thoughts be on that? I am not sure I want to do that to Ivy, my old ex-batt

[jimnpaula]

Don't give up, it will just take time. I have managed to introduce one to a flock but I had the advantage of a selection of personalities and, after a week to heal from her injuries, introduced her to the wimpiest hen first. Then I added the next softest hen a week later. After that the bottom trio were introduced to the top hen and second in command and everyone knew their place. The 4 middle hens were kept separate from the new girl-and-boss group for another couple of weeks, then the divider came down. It took about 6 weeks.

 

Separating the instigators of the bullying may well work. What I've seen happen is once one starts bullying then others will also have a go - but they wouldn't necessarily start the picking themselves. Letting her into thier section of run when they're out is a good idea.

[nannyhenny]

I've got a problem with introductions which I haven't seen mentioned on the forum. I had three hens, one lone survivor from our original 3 we had 5 years ago (Rosie; fairly elderly as hybrids go) and two we had as point of lay last year. When the second two arrived, we still had 3 originals and we introduced them without trouble over about three weeks. When Rosie was left as the sole original hen she seemed ok, although not quite settled as part of the resulting trio. We wanted to increase our 'flockette' so brought three new hens back last week. They have separate runs and coops within sight of the first three and can feed along the boundary.

However, poor Rosie has been devastated by the arrival of the new ones. As soon as she heard and saw them she began calling in a distressed way and hiding (even though they can't get together at all) She refused to feed along the boundary, even her favourite mealworms, and has withdrawn completely now, sitting alone in a corner under a bush and eating and drinking very little. She is head down and miserable.

I took her to the vet, who can find nothing physically wrong with her, but suggested she was stressed and depressed; no treatment for that, unfortunately!

I am afraid she is in terminal decline. Is there anything I can do? I wondered about taking her away and keeping her alone for some R and R, but that risks her being bullied when she is returned to the others and could be worse.

There is a lot about the effect of introductions on the new hens - but nothing about an older hen suffering as a result!

[newcountrygirl]

I have a problem with mine too. I had originally 3 hens. After having them for a couple of years I decided to get some more so I got 3 young ones - 1 more Pekin and a Polish Frizzle, and a Wyandotte. I kept them separate but in adjoining runs. One of my original girls was a nightmare and always had been - she went off to live with my friend across the road and has not been any trouble at all as she was then introduced to her 3 chickens.

Anyway - when the 3 newbies had grown up sufficiently I introduced them into the other girls. At first there were no problems but then after about 6 months of all being together nicely they suddenly took a dislike to the Polish Frizzle and started attacking her. In the end I had to separate her to let her heal, but they could still see each other. After about 4 weeks I tried to reintroduce her but they just went straight for her again.

I decided to get her a friend - another polish Frizzle and a cockerel to go in with the others. They spend their time chatting at the run part which divides the two runs. Now the weather has improved I have been letting them all out together to free range. No problems. They all tootle around together and there are no disagreements. Some evenings when they all troop into their coops they have been known to go in each others side. I decided that I would try and introduce the two Frizzles back in with the others. - Result - straight away they were attacking the same Frizzle and I had to separate them again. Getting fed up now.