NEEPS

Julie · Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 5:32 am Post subject:

It's actually very common that in the absence of a cockerel, the dominant hen adopts the role. They crow and behave like the cock in every way and it doesn't need to be a physical problem that starts it, it's a dominance thing.
Just give the neighbours a few eggs every now and then and they'll begin to enjoy your hens as much as you do, with a bit of luck

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henny · Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 3:08 pm Post subject:

Hi there, yes she is quite dominant and also the largest of the group.
I have bought a young Brahma to add to my troop although havent introduced her yet - not sure how it will go with one broody ( and moody) and this other one trying to crow

Here is me trying to be discreet with my chicken keeping !! All this information has been very helpful so thanks for replies

Julie · Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2009 10:55 am Post subject:

Whatever the outcome, adding her will disrupt the pecking order - it might even be helpful if that crowing hen gets demoted

The broody hen will also need to re-establish her place when she emerges form her clucky sulk. This might be the perfect time to introduce the newbie. How many hens have you got?
One of our black rocks was crowing and displaying (many years ago) and she reverted to normal hen behaviour when we got a cockerel.

I wonder if the hen behaving like a cockerel can trigger some of the others to go broody? I'm only guessing, not speaking from any authority, I must add. It has set me wondering though.
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henny · Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2009 11:23 am Post subject:

Hi, yes it is all quite interesting.
I have four hens 2 Orpingtons ( one of which has crowing problem )
1 silver laced Wyandotte ( broody ) and newbie is a 18 week old Brahma

Yes maybe putting her in with them now could help things. I had planned to try and set something up so that all hens couls see each other before being in same run. As space is tight it would be quite tricky, do you think just putting her in at bedtime one night will be OK ?
Thanks for interest

Julie · Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2009 12:22 pm Post subject:

That's what a lot of people do. I usually just put them in and keep an eye on them in case of excessive bullying. The thing is, we have space and they can free range within the bounds of our holding. That means they can get away from one another and integrate at their own pace. It probably doesn't have much relevance to the sort of instance where all the birds might be in a run or a very small garden.
The last lot of newbies - six in all - came when we were down to three elderly hens who barely laid an egg between them. We had a cockerel who lived in the house with the old girls too. We put the new ones in the other empty hen house and shut them ito the attatched run for a few days until they had settled in, during which time, the cock and his old wives were calling to the new girls and vice versa although they couldn't really see one another because of all the fruit bushes dotted in between. Then we let them all out to free range and over the next few weeks they began to mingle. The cock deserted his wives for the nubile young things and moved into their house - typical bloke

and then the hens followed him one by one.
i guess what I'm saying is that if you do the best you can, working with what you've got, to let them take it at their own pace, it's probably going to be amicable.
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henny · Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2009 1:08 pm Post subject:

Ok thanks, will let you know how it goes

Sassinak · Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2009 1:30 pm Post subject:

Be prepared for squalking and flapping.
Don't be tempted to dash in and seperate them at the first peck. At some point they will have to sort out their differences, so seperating them just puts the moment off. Obviously if they are causing severe damage to the new bird then you might have to seperate them and try a subtler approach, but I have got away with some outragious mixes over the years.
As soon as we get the new hut sorted I will be mixing all my Pekins together for the winter. The cockerels fight like fury for the first day or so, but soon settle down and live in relative harmony. It is partly to cut down on my work in winter (it is much easier to keep 3 or 4 large waterers defrosted than 1 dozen or more small ones), partly to give some of the pens a rest and partly so that they keep each other warm.
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Julie · Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2009 2:07 pm Post subject:

Aren't they just a nightmare to defrost, especially the galvanised kind with the twist off tops.
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Sassinak · Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2009 2:12 pm Post subject:

I have so many broken plastic ones where I have got a bit too enthusiastic trying to lever the frozen top (bottom !!) off
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Julie · Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2009 2:35 pm Post subject:

We use old washing up bowls and shallow feed buckets now. The drinkers are around somewhere but the bowls are easy to wash out and you can just lift off the ice in one sheet in the winter.
Algae in animals water containers is one of my pet hates. Gordon says I'm stupid because they drink out of puddles, but I like to see a clean water bucket.............I daren't look at the pigs bucket, I'd be washing it every hour

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