We have been raising poultry for many years now and have never had this much trouble with aggression in hens. Currently we have Barred Rock, Silver Wyandotte and White Rock adults. This year we ordered Salmon Favorelle chicks but the hatchery didn't have enough to complete the minimum of 25, so we filled out the order with Cuckoo Marans and Buttercups. Once the chicks were big enough to be out of the brooder area we had a terrible time with the older hens not letting them near the four feeders we use. The Silvers and Whites are worse than the Barred Rocks. They peck them any time the smaller ones come near them, and the youngsters squawk in pain and run away.
Probably because of this the young ones took forever to learn to go into the henhouse at night, where we lock them up against nocturnal predators, but they finally seem to be doing that. However, we have had to dispense with the feeders and instead distribute the pellets in a very long zigzag line so that everyone can eat without fear. The Salmon Favorelles and Buttercups are finally starting to put on some weight but I'm sure their growth was stunted. The Marans seemed able to hold their own a bit better. I'm wondering whether anyone has had this problem and are there any other ideas out there to avoid it next year?
Hens Aggressive Toward Younger Chickens?
If at all possible, I keep my chickens and chicks seperated. I keep the chicks in a seprerate pen until they are full size. I then slip them in the chicken house at night and most of the time they fair pretty well. Of course there is the establishment of pecking order that follows but that only seems to last a few days.
If that is not possible, try to make a seperate area where the little ones can escape to. Another words put a refrigerator box (or something like it) in the house and only cut the door big enough for the little ones to get in. Then put some food and water in there for them. That way they can eat and still come and go as they want to.
Sheila
Thanks, Sheila. A refrigerator box would probably be ideal in this situation but we didn't have one. We are planning to revamp the henhouse, which is very old, and add a separate covered run for the young ones, since we had some problems with predation too. I was just amazed at how nasty the older chickens were, though. We have never had this issue before!
Leslie
Barred Rocks are aggressive birds by nature. If they are in too small a pen they will literally peck one another naked. (just FYI). And I believe Wyandottes are pretty aggressive as well.
I'd keep smaller ones seperated till they are old enough to fend for themselves and peck for their position in the pecking order.
Chickens can be pretty cruel to one another.
The Wyandottes and the White Rocks seem to be the most aggressive, especially the Wyandottes. The chickens have a whole pasture to roam in - at least half an acre - and we only have about 35 adults, so I can't attribute it to crowding. From now on we will keep the smaller ones separate until they're larger, but we've never had this problem before, which made me wonder. Normally once the chicks are out of the brooder box we put them in a chicken tractor until they're big enough to fend for themselves against the older chickens, but this year, at the point where that's always worked in the past, the older chickens didn't accept them. Usually after the first week or so everything's fine, but not this time!
It does make you angry to see a hen go after a helpless young chicken until it cries, when there's plenty of food for everyone. The Salmon Favorelles are very cute - they look like little owls - but by now they're totally demoralized and won't stand up for themselves at all. Before we started spreading the feed out they often seemed to get no food at all except for what they could glean in the grass and leaves.
Leslie
I have 2 large feeders in the coop and then in the mornings, i spread out about 5-8 piles of feed so that all can partake. It seems to work pretty well.
A few summers ago when my husband was recuperating from a partial knee replacement I got into the habit of filling the four feeders but also making two or three other piles elsewhere so there'd be less competition. But that wouldn't work for these nasties because a Wyandotte or White Rock will guard each pile, no matter how many we put out; there are enough of them to do that. The long zigzag trail seems to do the trick because there's no concentration of feed anywhere for them to fixate on. I can almost see the Salmon Favorelles and Buttercups putting on weight before my eyes. The Cuckoo Marans were more able to hold their own with the older hens so they've been growing well anyway.
good point there, what I do is to spread out the feed before I let them out of the coop in the mornings, I let the little ones out first and then the bigger ones out. It seems to work. I do have a bit of the bigger ones being bossy but usually it is my female turkey. She is such a putz when it comes to food, they are always out of the coop and they get to eat 1st. That way they dont get onto the chickens to much.
What I am learning here is one way that works for one does not work for others. we all get advise from each other and go from there to make our babies the most comfy as possible. I am still learning and will probably continue to learn till I go see my maker.
Oh I found out what is wrong with one of the hens I have, I looked at her nails OMG they are long. As soon as my daughter gets here I am getting the clippers out and going to give her a pedicure. Poor thing. She is one of the birds I acquired a little while ago. My bad I never thought to look at their nails. Today I have been inspecting all nails now.
I have three girls. Two are a bit older than the third and the third is also a relatively new introduction. I have had to learn to spread out the feed for them, too. The two gang up on the third and don't let her near the goodies. I think she gets pellets and water just fine. Its just treats that shes short on.
Just now I went out and put three half corn cobs out for them. Darnit if Talula didn't run back and forth between the two that were not Lacey's to make sure that poor Anya didn't get any. Same thing yesterday when they were "helping" with me pulling sod. Talula got about 1 worm to every 15 of Lacey's and Anya probably got 1 to every 30. I wonder if that's why she continues to be the smallest.... hmmm....
Just wanted to ask how the Salmon Favorelles are doing? I'm considering them (okay, I'm hooked already) as one of the breeds I choose for my new flock. I have a place that one breed can be kept seperate, and from this thread, seems like these should be the ones. I don't have any breeds in mind that I think are particularly aggressive, but These guys look sooo cute...
Margo
Margo, the Salmon Favorelles are doing well. They're just adorable, and we even kept the one rooster because he was so cute. They're rather submissive, and ours haven't put on much weight; I'm sure they're nowhere near the size that the catalogue promises, but I think that's because they had to compete so much for food and couldn't get enough during the critical growth period. The Favorelles look like little owls and are much more upright than our other chickens. They're also laying pale brown eggs but probably not many. Of course, we only have two hens left, so maybe they're doing better than I think.
The Cuckoo Marans are sturdy and seem to be laying well, although from what I've been reading, they do beautifully the first year and then slack off and want to go broody. I'm thinking of Ameracaunas for the next batch of chickens, though. Until we get a setup where we can separate the younger chickens I don't want to do Favorelles again. You sound like you have the perfect arrangement for them. If you get them, let me know what you think.
Leslie
Thanks for the reply, Leslie. One thing I do have is room, and the SF would be in the back yard. The others (Turkens, Americaunas, Marans and other assorted) will be in an adjoining pasture. I'm hoping that they can all forage together once they're adults, but that keeping them seperate as chicks and juveniles will help them do well.
I'm using this initial bunch to find out which ones are useful (I'd like to sell "rainbow eggs"), and to get the ones I want as pets out of the way. This way, next year I'll order for practical reasons....*g*
I'll let you know how that goes....
Margo
I got Faverolles last year and they are VERY slow to mature. I agree, very sweet, funny birds. I also agree about the Wyandottes. I have 4 hens and they are very aggressive. Your Faverolles will fill out and mature. Mine took about 10 months to come to full size.
Interesting that your Favorelles took ten months to come to full size. Mine still look like munchkins but we didn't get them until July or August. Margo, you might be able to mix the Favorelles with the ones you have; we usually let them mingle after we took the young ones out of the brooder area, when they seemed large enough not to be such easy pickings for hawks. This past year that didn't work, maybe because of the Wyandottes, although the White Rocks weren't that nice either. The Cuckoo Marans don't seem as aggressive; I've never had Ameracaunas, although I'm thinking about them for this spring. Do you like them? I was really pleased with the way the Marans came along, although I hear that they lay very well the first year and then rest on their laurels.
Leslie
Ameracaunas will be new for me, as well. I'm hoping to gain a small income from eggs, and the multiple colors may sell batter. Of course, they also may not sell at all, here in rural SC. That's why the back-up of brown-eggers, Marans, Turkens and I'm looking at others. There will be some white eggs, as my SO wants White-faced Spanish. I am glad I read this, just to learn about the Wyandottes, that takes them off my list. I want everyone to get along :). I'm very interested in the "heritage" breeds, but need to get myself under control. It's very easy to have them on paper, not so much when they're running around for real!
Margo
I ALSO HAD THE WYANDOTTES ON MY CHICK LIST AND TOOK THEM OFF.WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE BLACK AUSTRALORPS?ARE THEY AGGESIVE TO THE OTHER HENS?
The Black Australorps are really nice. So are the Americana hens. THe Americana roos are pretty aggressive rough on the hens. Americana hens lay large eggs and lay pretty consistantly. I like them a lot.I have a 5 Black Australorps and I like them. Nice hens. My boss has some too and he won't have any other type he likes them so much.