Hi in New Orleans, welcome. Introducing new chickens to an existing flock is tricky at best and can lead to disaster. Fighting, pecking, bullying and denying access to food and water is normal behavior. The worst is introducing a virus that could kill all the chickens. It is also possible that the stress to either or both the old and new chickens could cause them to go into molt.
In your message you state the pecking has not gotten worse with the new rooster. If this is correct your chickens should start to get along.
In Louisiana I wouldn't think you need any heat, even in the dead of winter. Other than that it sounds like you are taking very good care of them. We would love to see pictures.
Ol' George
--- In CHICKENS-101@yahoogroups.com, "lisandennissharp" <sharpsrockins@...> wrote:
>
> Hi-
> I'm new to the group and live near New Orleans, Louisiana. I was given a group of hens and a rooster by my mom about a year ago. All was fine until I added several new hens. A few of them started hen pecking and defeathering the back end of a few hens. Then my rooster died of old age. The pecking got worse. I have dusted them for mites. Sprayed bluing on their red butts and backs. It gets better for a while then gets worse again. I was told by a local breeder to get another rooster so I did. The pecking lessened for about 2 weeks and has not gotten worse again. Again I dust and spray, have added fruit and veggies to their yard. They are on a good feed, have fresh water constantly, fresh hay in thier boxes. They have a very big house with plenty of roosting boxes. They have a fenced in yard about 12' X 16'. They can not free range due to local hunting dogs that run loose and would eat them. Their yard has a sun screen on the top during the summer and the house has a fan for cooling in the summer and a heater fan during the winter so I don't think it is a temperature problem. I currently have 11 hens and a rooster. I have lost about 8 hens over the last year for unknown reasons. Does anyone have any ideas how I can stop the defeathering?
>
CHICKENS-101@yahoogroups.com
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