New Hen Nightmares! Please Help

[flippasmile]

Hello Everybody!

This is my first post on here, but I am sure after reading everyones tips that you can help. I recently lost my Mother hen in a fight with a fox. She was my first and favourite - I was quite heart broken!

Anyways, I got a 5 month old bird of the same breed (Orpington Bantam) and the two ladies left (pekins) wont let her settle and have now picked on her so much I have had to remove her. Her crest was bleeding.

I started by putting her in the coop at night, in the morning they fought, so I let the two ladies free range and kept the little one inside but still visible (I did this for two days).

Then I let them all free range whilst I watched, but it was too savage so kept her in again.

Now I have isolated the main hen Mavis, but Maude still picked on the little one so badly that I had to separate them again.

I have even started to do things like "chicken whispering" to assert myself as Mother Hen to protect the little with no avail!

What can I do now??
Thanks,
Philippa

 

[Marigold]

I think the source of the problem was probably that you tried to introduce just one pullet, to a pair of established adult hens. This is always difficult because the two adults will be much more dominant and won't appreciate a new, immature 'arrival.' I've tried it myself, and decided 'never again!' You did right to remove her whilst the injury healed, but will have to start again on the socialisation once she's better.

Would you have room for another newbie as a companion to the one you've got? (A good excuse to smuggle in another chicken, maybe!) It's always easier to introduce a pair rather than a single bird, as they sort of make friends with each other and give each other support in the face of the 'enemy.' It's a good idea to divide the run with netting and put in a temporary coop, nothing fancy, or to keep them in a separate coop, but where they can see the old hens, for a couple of weeks at least. This gives the new birds a chance to settle in and get to know each other, and also you can observe them and make sure they're not carrying any diseases or pests that might transfer to your existing pair. Also you can worm them - with Flubenvet - and maybe do your older hens as well. This process takes a week in any case, as it's a 7-day course of medication.

When you do introduce them, yes the overnight method is good, just make sure they have several feeders and drinkers in the run in case they're being chased off them, and be prepared at first to give the new birds a bit of 'time out' behind a netting barrier, to eat and drink and rest for an hour, a couple of times a day. There will inevitably be chasing and squabbles, but watch closely and only intervene if, as in this case, blood is shed, and then act fast, as you did.

Do let us know how you get on - and a big welcome to the Forum, Philippa.

 

[Chuck]

If blood is drawn, then they need to be seperated quickly as you've done and not put back until completely healed up. Mixing birds is always unpredictable and you stand a better chance if more than one is introduced to the existing birds.

 

[flippasmile]

Thanks for the great advice. I have put out a lot of feeders and drinkers out. I have also given them Vermex, ACV and organic hen spice, just to help things along.
I would love another, and have the space for one too. But I am going to have to wait until I get paid again!

I won't be doing this again, that's for sure. I will deffinatley introduce two hens next time. I just hope Mr Fox doesn't come by when my sonic repellents have run out of battery again! They are fab for the smallholder.
I know it sounds strange but I think they miss the one that's gone and are taking it out on the little one a bit more than they're supposed to - is that silly?

 

[Marigold]

Hens are always horrible to newcomers, even hens you think are lovely and tame and kindnatured normally. Whether or not they miss the dear departed, I think it's unlikely they would behave any worse to a newcomer because of the way she died. (Sorry to hear about that, BTW - it must have been terrible for you.)
I've found that, when you introduce two new pullets to two established hens, they do settle down together once the pecking order is established, but although they will then flock as a group, there will always be two pairs of friends, the old ones and the new ones. When I introduced a single pullet to my two hens, she was never properly accepted, was always regarded as the downtrodden 'gooseberry' on the edge of the 'couple,' and obviously was quite lonely really. When I came to introduce the next pair, she became extremely aggressive, puffed herself up to twice her size, and made the most terrifying noises, fortunately through the mesh. She managed to grab hold of one of the pullets through the mesh nevertheless, and I think she would have killed it if I hadn't intervened and put in a second line of netting to separate them more effectively. In the end a friend kindly rehomed her for me, into a larger flock.

I understand about the problems of getting another pullet just yet, but the sooner you can do this, the better, as then they'll both have a better chance of bonding with each other whilst the one you have now is still immature. The longer you leave it to find her a companion, the harder it may be to get the two of them to settle down together before putting them in with the Pekins.

One more thing - whilst Vermex is good for chicken's general health and digestion, it's not an effective wormer - you should treat all your chickens with Flubenvet every 4-6 months. There are quite a lot of threads on here about worming, in the Chickens Health section, and also in the subsection about medications at http://bit.ly/yZVKpd . There has been a recent thread about where is the cheapest place to buy Flubenvet - you might as well spend your money on a product known to be fully effective, and then give them a herbal tonic as well if you feel the need.

 

[chrismahon]

Hi Flippasmile. You tried everything I would. She was too young to introduce really- should be at least 6 months in my opinion. We've just had similar problems putting 2 + 1 in a new coop to them all and I took out the more aggressive one who is in a run alongside. Two weeks and the two have settled down, may try introducing the other one back this weekend, we'll see. The bullied one was laying before she was introduced and stopped. When she restarts she's settled. If I rush the introduction it's back to square one. As Marigold says you are better with two going in together and now is a good time to get another. Otherwise the new one will never fully integrate and will always be seen as an outsider -lonely existance for a chicken.