[Lynda_T]

Since introducing 3 white sussex 3 days ago my lovely young Brahma's havent been going into the their coop at night, choosing to sleep undernear instead.  I have to pick them up and pop them back in and close the wee nest box.  Im just wondering if they will ever go in on their own like they did before i got the new hens?
During the day they give the new girls a wide berth and the new girls do bully them when they do get near. 
Will they ever live happy as a wee family?

[woodside farm]

Don't worry they will eventually, when I put new chicks outside it can take them over a week sometimes for them to get the hang of the change 

Michelle xx

[Lynda_T]

Thanks its funny how protective i feel over the young ones and i didnt realise how quite ruthless the older ones can be!
Cant wait to see them just getting on, mind u its brought Fiona my ancona cross closer to the Brahma's shes now buddy'd up with them!  Although she does muscle her way in the coup at night and even gets one of the best spots!!
thanks again
x

[dizzylizzie]

hi, ive had 3 new girls in with my 5 ex-batts for nearly 2 weeks now....they have been picked on so much. i did everything i could, i kept them seperate for a while, but they could see each other, then put them together to roost, then let them all out in the garden together. Dory, the lowest in the ex-bats pecking order has made their lives hell. how she hasnt dropped dead from a heart attack i dont know. i put 4 feeders out, 1 under the coop, and them 3 at the furthest corners of the garden, banking on the fact if the food would be guarded, i thought the new ones would at least get to feed somewhere...but no...dory spent the first week legging up and down to the different feeders stopping the new girls from feeding, she patrolled the nest boxes, the coop, the flowerbeds(whats left of them), and she could be seen regulary taking a mouthful of tail feathers from one of the new ones :ohmy:but i knew the others wouldbe fine. it didnt look like they were eating, but they must have been cos they havent dropped dead of starvation/dehydration. Dory would throw them out of the coop at bedtime, and they wouldsit shaking under it...we would pop them back in , and 10 mins later all would be quiet and calm. we knew things would be ok......2 weeks later, the 3 new girls are on the edge of the flock, they are still getting a bit of a tail pecking, and they still let the others (dory) feed first, and have first picks at treats, but they are getting there. in the last few days we have introduced the babies...the ex-batts are ignoring them, but the 3 new ones are giving them hell here we go again. !!! just give them time, it will settle down, its not nice to watch, but it generally looks worse than it is...god think how awful it would be if you have got rid of the new ones in haste then realised that it was all normal...how awful would that be?the poor things would be wondering what they had done wrong, when really all they are doing is just been chickens, thats where the term pecking order came from...just be patient, within a month they will be fine

[Lynda_T]

My Brahma girls are still not going into the coup in the evening ive put a shelter (a enclosed cat box) for during the day at the other side of the run for them to escape the bullying and they are choosing to sleep there, its not ideal for them to sleep in as i feel it could be a bit drafty at night. ...so im still popping them into the coup in the evening once the other hens are in.
HELP!!! does it normaly take this long??

[SMD66]

it took about 10/11 days for my newbies to settle.  Just keep doing what you are doing, put them in the coop at night, it will work out in the end promise!

[Lynda_T]

Im soooo chuffed for the first time since i got the new hens the Brahma girls have gone into the coup on their own! Im hoping its not just a fluke, but i just thought id share my excitement!!!

 

[lucylou]

thats excellent - it was worth all the effort in the end! 

[Lynda_T]

It was a fluke  I had to pop them in again last night!     I live in hope!!!! :blink: