The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: epherdwicks on September 28, 2023, 01:00:44 pm
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For the second year running one of my hens went broody and managed to hatch off a batch of eggs successfully.
I have just tried reintegrating her with my other hens (last year's chicks) but they have been bullying her so she takes refuge in the nest box most of the day, poor girl. Last year I had no problems when I put her back.
a) any hints as to how to help her, and
b) what is likely to happen when this year's chicks are full-grown and I try to add them to the flock?
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You either do nothing and just wait for them all to settle down - they will in time. Or you can remove a couple of the bossiest hens and put them somewhere else for a week, thus changing the pecking order. It can always be a bit tricky introducing a lone hen, sometimes they cope ok and sometimes they don't.
You may get similar issues with the new batch of chicks, or you may not, but putting several newbies in together is usually easier.
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Thank you, fingers crossed. I have extended the run temporarily to give them more space to explore in the hopes this distracts them from picking on the new/old hen, and hope she gets braver with time about leaving the nest box.