On 2 June 2008 I purchased 2 day old chicks which my broody hen raised very successfully. However they have both turned out to be cockerals. One is Buff Orpington, the other a Sussex Light.
Last week I took the hard line and mixed them in with my other 10 ex free range rescue hens. They had been living in ajoining runs and had been mixing together under close supervision for short periods of time in the garden for a few weeks in the hope they would get on.
The Buff orpington seems to be OK but poor little Kiev (Sussex Light) is still being bullied, even though he's bigger than the hens! I wondered if it is because of his colour... the rest all being brown as I know that albino wild birds are sometimes picked on. Touchingly, his mum, still steps in from time to time to defend him but he truely is a complete coward! Although no blood has been seen and no injuries sustained as such, he just 'screams' if one of the hens so much as walks towards him and runs away. He just seems to be on his guard the whole time and never really relaxes. Will he ever get use to them or is he just a wimp?
Also, when will they start crowing? I think I'm going to have to rehome the Sussex (or let the neighbour eat him). I'm assuming that 2 cockers with 11 hens is too much. Am I correct?
The only alternative is to take him to my friends field where she has a very large enclosure with 19 hen and 2 full grown cockerals (oneof which is a Sussex Light). Do you think he would be accepted by them if they are an established flock already?
Many thanks
Kym