Our new chickens are here! We picked them up yesterday afternoon and brought them home in a cat basket. I’m ashamed to say it, but we have already fallen in love with one of them and, despite the fact that we insisted we weren’t going to give any of them names, she has one.
We settled on three Rhode Rangers in the end, largely because we used to keep them on the farm when I was a kid, but also because they’re good layers. They should average 320 eggs each in their first year, so the three of them combined will more than pay for themselves with close to 1000 eggs between now and next spring.
A Rhode Ranger chicken
The breeder had suggested three Black Rocks instead, and they’d all been caught and caged ready for our arrival, so we did end up leaving them there (and feeling a bit mean about having done so). I’m glad we did, though. These ones are so much prettier.
We kept them in the greenhouse all afternoon (it’s still cold, so they didn’t overheat) and then put them into the coop last night when the three other birds had gone to bed, sitting them on bars by the door. By this morning, when we opened them up, the new ones had been corralled into the nest box and the other hens had taken up the whole of the rest of the coop. The old hens flew down into the compound as usual and then stood looking up menacingly from the bottom of the ladder as the new ones gingerly looked out.
Gabrielle chicken
As we expected the newbies are getting fairly savagely pecked by our three existing hens.The one we gave a name to – Gabrielle, on account of her dodgy eye – came out of the coop this morning with blood on her comb, and this afternoon she has some on her beak. Things are improving, though, as the day goes on, and at least the new ones aren’t hiding under the hen house all the time any more (they would have been hiding in it had we not closed the door).
The fighting will continue as they work out who is top chicken, but I’m hoping that it won’t go on for much more than a few days. Fortunately we’re both working from home tomorrow, so we can keep an eye on them from the window, but I suspect it’s going to be a bit fraught.
Nik and Gabrielle chicken
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Hi Nik,
Ours took a couple of weeks to settle down really, the new ones were chased around and around the garden all day and pecked to bits. My sister-in-law sprayed all of hers with febreeze which helped no end, as apparently if they all smell the same they’re less able to realise that the new ones are new.
Good luck with it though, it was a torturous couple of weeks for us.
Tom.
Congrats on the new hens, they look lovely!
I give it another week before they are all names..
maybe you should name them chicken dishes like Tikka and Korma.
x
Hi
I have 4 black rock hens, there names are ruby,tahnee,molly, and jessie. I couldn’t help it i had to name them, since jan 09 my 4 girls have laid 860 eggs to date. And myself and my wife just think they are great.
Hi, I have just found your blog and very glad I am too! We got some chickens last year fro the first time, two bluebelles then a week or so later two black rocks, both were point of lay so got used to each other very quickly. Last weekend, I went to the petshop in Tralee with two of my sons to choose a hamster…..came home with two 20 week old rhodies…I couldn’t leave them could I? We have room for 8 birds so no problem I thought. We introduced them in the morning, and they have been bullied ever since. Everyone keeps telling me that they will settle in and not to worry, but it’s awful to see these poor little sods being pecked.
It’s horrible, isn’t it. Your friends are right – they will eventually settle in among the rest of the flock – but you’re going to see a lot of pecking until that happens. Keep an eye on it to make sure none of them is hurt too seriously, but apart from that there’s not much you can do – it’s just what chickens do, I’m afraid.
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