Naughty girlies....

[Shirls]

Georgie and Bea are being really naughty since the babies have arrived. They have wrecked what little flower patches I had, which they never even looked at before! They chase the babies around the run, from the outside (babies inside) and peck at them when they get close enough. They still compain during the day also. It is only day 3. How long can this go on I ask myself?

The weather is so hot here at the moment so I can't sit out and monitor them all day. I can't see their run from my window either.

Perhaps starlingqueen has a few more tips? I was told it would be a 'look but not touch' approach by doing what I have done, and to let babies out in two weeks time. Their run is getting really dirty, even tho already I have moved it 3 times!! I need a bigger garden!

I really didn't want this to happen and that's why I bought four chickens in the first place, so there wouldn't be any introductions.

Sorry if I've had a little moan, just let off a bit of steam, as it has been a really odd week this week!!

[starlingqueen]

It's a very slow process Shirls. It took us over a month before we let Willow even meet the babies without a fence between them and even then she still attacked them. Then we started putting them in the shed with her at night so she woke up next to them. You have to be up early for that, to remove them before they realise and attack them. There is a quicker way and that's just let them meet and get on with it but that can be brutal with sometimes nasty consequences. Farmers do it this way, they don't have time to keep them separated, the odd chicken or 2 is expendable to them, seriously injured ones just get culled, minor injuries are left to heal.
You have to remember they are relatives of dinosaurs and behave like them. Your sweet little chickens turn into hateful monsters when there are intruders. You may find you will look at your girls differently for a while but it does go. It's hard to not feel they are nasty creatures when you see how brutal they can be. Good luck and stick with it, you can do it and one day you'll wonder what all the fuss was about when they are all best friends.

[Shirls]

Thanks for the info Wendy. I didn't realise my lovely two girlies could get so aggressive to little babies. Having said that, these babies aren't that little! Just shows what a good upbringing does and how poorly my two were when I got them.

[samwiseg]

Crikey

[Marianne Marlow]

I'm sure they'll be okay if you take things slowly as starlingqueen has suggested, though I can imagine that it's hard work.

[skysmum]

I'm playing catch up a bit lately but just wanted to say what beautiful babies @shirls . It sounds like you have had a bit of a fraught week one way or another

I think i will stick to buds

[suesbird]

Me too. Skysmum