just a bit of advice needed

[Anonymous]

Took my silkie cockeril back and replaced her with an 18 week old light sussex to go woth my 40 week old marsh daisy.
They have been in together since day one which was thursday afternoon.
There have only been a few squabbles all instigated by the marsh daisy.
What i would like to know is how long will she bully the new bird do you think.
The sussex stays in the nest box and i have put some pellets in there with her, the main problem is..
the sussex isnt allowed to do anything without the MD having a little peck.
If i let them out into the garden to wander the MD follows the sussex everywhere and if i give them any food, bread, lettuce, sweetcorn the MD will not let the sussex have any. Even today the Md was foraging in the dirt and the Sussex tried to have a dirt bath and the Md had a peck at her for doing it.
I feel really sorry for the sussex, really she is only a baby and she has this older hen having a go at her every move.
Will the sussex learn to have a go back or is she destined to be hen pecked by Daisy.
I wonder wether it would be better to replace daisy with another susses from the same brrod that she came from.
What do you think??

 

[Davidd]

Hello, they will settle down after a few weeks- as long as she is not drawing blood then try to let them get on with it- try to have at least two drinkers/feeders so the sussex can get a chance to eat and drink- hens can be very nasty at times but whatever you add will suffer the same fate- it just takes time for them to settle down together.
regards, David

 

[Anonymous]

thanks for that, there has been no blood drawn, just a bit of pecking.
Seems like a jealousy type thing, you cant have ...it's mine not your type thing... think she is missing the cockeril as well LOL

 

[Anonymous]

hi there,
how did you introduce your sussex to your marsh daisy, as with chickens its better to put them together at night, so they just appear there in the morning as if they've always been there, issit possible to have another hen there to even up the pecking order?


phoebe

 

[Anonymous]

I did think of another sussex from the same brood as the other one but i dont know if there is really enough room in the coup for 3 hens to lay their eggs. they are ok this morning, i will see how it goes..

 

[Davidd]

Hi, putting them in at night is a little less stressful------------ until first light then they still fight believe you me- i always like to put them in during the day- that way i can watch to see they dont get really beaten up- you will always have fights/pecking- it is normal behaviour - until they establish the pecking order- as long as the birds are roughly the same size/ age they shouldn't do too much damage :shock:
regards, David