Worried

[chicken lodge]

Hi Everyone,
Thank you for your replys, just to let you know we have a garden that the chicken have full use of and this is just under an acre.
we have taken the plunge and brought a cockrall, so keeping fingers crossed that it will stop the arguments between the girls. wish us luck.
We are very lucky as we live in a cottage on the side of the Black Mountains in Wales so we dont have the worry of neigbours.
Thanks again :0

 

[Marigold]

Wow, that's just a great home for them ,sounds ideal, lucky girls! I'd love to see some pics, of your new boy as well as the girls.
In your first post you said they were 2 years old but you'd only had them for 2 weeks. Did they all come together as a batch from their previous home? If not, they may still be working out their pecking order, which will lead to some squabbles. And even if they were previously use d to each other, a new home is very unsettling for hens and they'll take a while to settle down.
Have you been able to observe them to see if one of them is the worst bully, or is it just general infighting? If one of them is causing trouble and is the worst, there are ways of dealing with her.

 

[chicken lodge]

Hi, No they came in diffrent order we got the coop and 8 chickens, we then brought another 2 but after 2 days one got caught by a dog off its lead very upsetting then we brought another 2 so we have 11 in total with the new member of the family Fred the cockrall, arrived today.
I think they may be working out the pecking order and they have had so much to deal with, what with new chickens and a new home, i suppose i am expecting them all to get on straight away, and they have so much room to wander around,thats something else they need to get used to. its so good to go out of the back door start calling them and most of them come running.
There seems to be a group of 5 that stick together, but the other are starting to join in.
I will get some pics sorted and post them on site.

 

[foxy]

Sounds wonderful! Yes I agree that they maybe are just sorting a few things out between them. I do love watching cockerels in a flock, has Fred tried feeding his hens yet? Cockerels industriously hunt for tasty bugs then call the hens over to see! They even call the hens to bed at dusk and fret over them in the nestboxes.

Mine get very excited when I enter their runs..I have been offered all sorts..from bits of twigs..leaves and and a hair band that must've slipped off!

 

[chrismahon]

Hi Foxy. Think the bits the cockerel has offered you are tempters. They do this to each other (cockerel to cockerel) to get the other to move close enough to strike at them. The only one of our cockerels who does this to me is Frankie -he's a bit of a monster (as in missing the 'enstein'). Learned this from a TV interview with Jane from the BHWT. So the cockerel is challenging you in order to protect his hens basically, despite your size, and that's the sort of cockerel you need looking after your hens. So long as he doesn't actually attack you though. Something moved fast along the ground alongside the orchard -too fast for me to see. Was probably a mink, but our Frankie went for it and the other 2 cockerels just panicked.

 

[foxy]

Hi Foxy. Think the bits the cockerel has offered you are tempters. They do this to each other (cockerel to cockerel) to get the other to move close enough to strike at them. The only one of our cockerels who does this to me is Frankie -he's a bit of a monster (as in missing the 'enstein'). Learned this from a TV interview with Jane from the BHWT. So the cockerel is challenging you in order to protect his hens basically, despite your size, and that's the sort of cockerel you need looking after your hens. So long as he doesn't actually attack you though. Something moved fast along the ground alongside the orchard -too fast for me to see. Was probably a mink, but our Frankie went for it and the other 2 cockerels just panicked.

Aww Chris you are terrible! There was me full of romantic notions as usual..

 

[Bertie & The Chooks]

Hi Foxy. Think the bits the cockerel has offered you are tempters. They do this to each other (cockerel to cockerel) to get the other to move close enough to strike at them. The only one of our cockerels who does this to me is Frankie -he's a bit of a monster (as in missing the 'enstein'). Learned this from a TV interview with Jane from the BHWT. So the cockerel is challenging you in order to protect his hens basically, despite your size, and that's the sort of cockerel you need looking after your hens. So long as he doesn't actually attack you though. Something moved fast along the ground alongside the orchard -too fast for me to see. Was probably a mink, but our Frankie went for it and the other 2 cockerels just panicked.

that explains a lot! cheers for that chris. i gave Bertie his favorite treat (raspberries) once and through the fence he's lovely and gobbles them up. then i brought a couple in with me once and gave him one...two...three WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH cockerel in my face!!! luckly i caught him by his feet and swung him up as i stood up, after he calmed down i put him over the gate with me on the otherside and he still went for the gate!!! lol but i know he loves my girls and they all love him. he's a good boy, he's only doin what he knows best. 11

 

[Marigold]

Hi, No they came in diffrent order we got the coop and 8 chickens, we then brought another 2 but after 2 days one got caught by a dog off its lead very upsetting then we brought another 2 so we have 11 in total with the new member of the family Fred the cockrall, arrived today.
I think they may be working out the pecking order and they have had so much to deal with, what with new chickens and a new home, i suppose i am expecting them all to get on straight away, and they have so much room to wander around,thats something else they need to get used to..

I think this staged introduction of 3 separate batches/pairs of chickens, and then a cockerel, to a very different sort of environment, is probably the cause of the present social (antisocial?) problems, and I hope they settle down soon now they have a nice boyfriend to take their minds off each other!
When introducing new chickens, many people feel it's good practice to separate them for a couple of weeks before putting the new ones into the established flock. This is for quarantine reasons, so any undiagnosed nasties the new ones bring with them will have a chance to be observed before they pass it on to the others. In your case, each group or pair added to your flock might have been considered a risk to the others, small though this might be. For full quarantine you'd need to house them in a separate coop + run away from the others. However, many of us can't manage that and have to settle for dividing the run with netting so the chickens can see each other but not have full body contact. This actually has the advantage that the new birds have a couple of weeks to settle in to new routines and a new place and bond with each other, and also get to know the rest of the flock by sight. I've found this to be very helpful when introducing new birds that were a very different colour to the previous ones - my two POL white hybrids were initially regarded with grave, almost racist suspicion by my old black and brown hens. After a couple of weeks, the introductions usually go more smoothly than if complete strangers are put in together from the start.

I'm not saying it was wrong to do it as you did, we all know getting a new flock together is a matter of taking local opportunities as they come up, just that next time you need new birds there might be easier ways to engineer it smoothly!

P.S. Lovely to have all that space for them, but how many foxes are there in the Black Mountains?

 

[chicken lodge]

Hi Thank you for your reply,
And there are supposed to be a number of Fox's in the Black Mountains, but so far and keeping fingers crossed we have not had any problems so.
We have Taken loads of precautions so again we will keep fingers crossed we wont have any problems.
On another note i think we have brought a great big wose with the cockrall, he is being picked on and runs a mile when the chickens go near him, will this stop, he is twice the size to them i m just hoping that he will toughten up.

 

[Chuck]

If you're using a good covering of wood chip in the coop, they may well be dusting in there. Marigold has covered all aspects for creating a dust bath.
After all the years I've had chickens, I still take time out to watch them dusting as they look so contented.

You should see me in the bath Chuck!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

JubesXX

:shock:

And you should see me blushing ! It ain't right to do that to a 70 year old !!!!! :lol:

 

[Chuck]

Hi Thank you for your reply,
And there are supposed to be a number of Fox's in the Black Mountains, but so far and keeping fingers crossed we have not had any problems so.
We have Taken loads of precautions so again we will keep fingers crossed we wont have any problems.
On another note i think we have brought a great big wose with the cockrall, he is being picked on and runs a mile when the chickens go near him, will this stop, he is twice the size to them i m just hoping that he will toughten up.

If he's young and in a strange environment, he will take time to assert himself. Even older males can be intimidated by a strange batch of females. (Ring any bells :lol
When they do settle down, it's not uncommon for the hens to pull the feathers out of the males especially round the tail, which rather spoils the look of them. Hence the term - hen pecked !
Running a male with hens is no guarantee that they will integrate.

 

[Bertie & The Chooks]

Hi Thank you for your reply,
And there are supposed to be a number of Fox's in the Black Mountains, but so far and keeping fingers crossed we have not had any problems so.
We have Taken loads of precautions so again we will keep fingers crossed we wont have any problems.
On another note i think we have brought a great big wose with the cockrall, he is being picked on and runs a mile when the chickens go near him, will this stop, he is twice the size to them i m just hoping that he will toughten up.

If he's young and in a strange environment, he will take time to assert himself. Even older males can be intimidated by a strange batch of females. (Ring any bells :lol

they still manage to crow though!! :lol:

 

[chrismahon]

If you choose a cockerel from a flock, pick the one at the front. That's the one all the others are hiding behind. That was my theory when I chose young Boris, who will be meeting his 3 much older girls soon. We'll see if I made a good choice when he meets Snowdrop. She took one look at the last cockerel and then beat him up!

 

[Bertie & The Chooks]

If you choose a cockerel from a flock, pick the one at the front. That's the one all the others are hiding behind. That was my theory when I chose young Boris, who will be meeting his 3 much older girls soon. We'll see if I made a good choice when he meets Snowdrop. She took one look at the last cockerel and then beat him up!

Do you think it might be worth separating Snowdrop for a short period to allow the cockerel to establish himself with the rest of the flock so she's not feeling threatened? Then put her back in and let him rule the roost so to speak? She should fall in nicely then.

 

[foxy]

If you choose a cockerel from a flock, pick the one at the front. That's the one all the others are hiding behind. That was my theory when I chose young Boris, who will be meeting his 3 much older girls soon. We'll see if I made a good choice when he meets Snowdrop. She took one look at the last cockerel and then beat him up!

Good tip Chris! 17 even amongst cockerels they will be one dominant lad who in effect can suppress the sexual characteristics of the other boys, you can see this in the more developed head furniture of the dominant cockerel.

 

[Bertie & The Chooks]

head furniture

:lol: :lol:

 

[chrismahon]

The breeder, of 30+years experience and the most knowledgable chicken keeper I have ever met (bred a new variety of Leghorn -fantastic looking birds and incredibly complex process), thought our idea of putting young Boris into the greenhouse Winter quarters first and then bringing the hens into his territory (the hens were there last year but must have forgotten) should do the trick. The last cockerel was put into the hens' territory and, after being beaten up by Snowdrop, he wasn't allowed anywhere near her girls . So your idea of Snowdrop in last might work Steph -but only might, as she is a very quiet and yet ruthless top hen. I've tried talking to her, picking her up, eye to eye stuff, letting her stand on my hand whilst I wag my finger at her, but she remains unphased -she's lovely.
Boris has monstrously big 'head furniture' Foxy -but so did the last one, and Snowdrop was suitably unimpressed. The song that goes "and so you're a Rocket Scientist -well that don't impress me much -----but have you got the touch" springs to mind.

 

[Chuck]

The most forward male is not always the one you want to use for various reasons, be it for egg laying or show.

 

[foxy]

The most forward male is not always the one you want to use for various reasons, be it for egg laying or show.

Good point when I choose cockerels for the next years breeding pens or exhibtion there are a lot of factors to consider. I like to take a cup of tea outside and just watch them, and cross fingers I have made the right choice..

 

[chrismahon]

Being a pullet breeding cockerel show isn't an issue and if we don't get one that can stand up to Snowdrop there will be no next generation at all. Hopefully the egg laying will be fine, otherwise the whole thing will have been a wasted excercise. All his colouring is spot on and he's not too big either so I have high hopes.