Over the easter weekend i extended our chicken run and added 2 new POL chooks to our existing 3. There was the usual fighting as the dominant 2 (both speckledy's) made sure the newbies knew thier place. Fine, thats to be expected - but chickens can be evil minded things and this process can and often does go on for days. Things had been getting better over the last few days though - less fighting and the original birds seemed to able to spend at least 5 mins with the new ones without attacking them, although the new ones did take to spending most of thier time in the chook house instead of being outside, but i let it go as there was only a problem when one of the originals went in to lay an egg - quick scuffle, and both new birds quickly vacated the house and went into the run while she laid.
Until i got home last night - both new birds were cowering in one of the nest boxes, and one had a nasty cut on the back of her neck that was attracting the others to peck it further. I dont have a second house/run, or room for one, so divided my the run up again into the new and old sections and put the new chooks in the new section. The originals have the piece with the house in, so i had to use the best thing i could find for the newbies - a cat box i used to collect them in - lined with straw it at least gave them somewhere to sleep. Ive bandaged up the cut as best i could and both new chooks seem happy - they are eating/drinking fine and ill keep an eye on the cut.
Not sure how this will play out - they are all happy and safe for the minute but they cant live like this long term. If i cant rectify this the new chooks may have to go.
We could be looking at the first big failure of the year and a major setback to plans we have for selling a few eggs.
Not a good day
12/04/07 @ 07:55