chickens not joining the flock

[Keltic Fitz]

Hello everyone, I have placed five new pullets in my coop several weeks ago. I started by placing a separator between the new chickens and the current chickens. I left it there for about a week and slowly introduced the other chickens to the flock when the free range feed. It has been five weeks and the older flock will not allow the other newer chicken to join and roost with them. The are attacking the chickens and will not allow them by the food and water. I have again separated them and am at a lose to why they will not allow them to join the flock. Any I ideas how to finally get the to allow them to join? I have not had this problem before. I have even placed the new chicken inside the coop to roost at night (x5nights) so when the other chickens awoke they would be there with them. that did not turn out good. The cornered the new chickens. thanks for you help.

 

[bobbi-j]

This sounds like basic chicken behavior. Older hens are at the top of the pecking order, and generally do harass the younger ones. It helps if you can put hideouts for them in the run when they're locked up, and separate feeding and watering stations are a plus. How big is your coop (in feet by feet)? Recommended coop space is 4 sq. feet per bird (more is better), and recommended rip in space is 1 foot per bird. Those are recommendations for minimum space. Integration works better if you can give them even more room than that. Can you put another roost in, lower than the one already in there? That will help keep the pullets in their proper place (in the older hens' eyes). Roost space is a big deal in the chicken world.

ETA - younger birds will often remain a sub-flock until they become of laying age, or they've spent a winter cooped up together.

 

[Keltic Fitz]

Hi thanks for replying, the coop is 8ft x 18ft long. I have the newer chicken separated with food and water again. I need them to join the flock. they have share the coop for five weeks now. The younger of the five pullet was attack viciously that is why I separated them. I put another roost in the house just or the new chickens but they will not return to their roost the following night. I had to continue putting them on their roost.

 

[chickens really]

Just a tip.....The more you intervene, the longer it will take...Chase them all in to Roost at night and leave them...If they sleep on the floor? That is fine....Chickens have a very strong pecking order...New BIRDS are hard to introduce..It takes time....As long as no blood is shed, you might have two little subgroups of Chickens for months....? They may never join? But will tolerate each other...It takes time...


Cheers!

 

[tmarsh83]

Just a tip.....The more you intervene, the longer it will take...Chase them all in to Roost at night and leave them...If they sleep on the floor? That is fine....Chickens have a very strong pecking order...New BIRDS are hard to introduce..It takes time....As long as no blood is shed, you might have two little subgroups of Chickens for months....? They may never join? But will tolerate each other...It takes time...


Cheers!

^^^^^^^^ Great advice.

Make sure you have multiple feed and water stations, not near each other, and wait it out.

If you have one primary attacker that is causing the issue, remove that birds, not the newbies, and see how that works.

Crate it away from the other birds. Shuffle the pecking order deck. Out of sight out of mind.

 

[aart]

Is there a roost where the newer birds have been sequestered?
If they still have access just leave it up and they should use that one...along with the food and water in there.

A pic of how your coop is split for new and old birds would help.

Also how many old birds with the 5 newer ones?

 

[bobbi-j]

This sounds like basic chicken behavior. Older hens are at the top of the pecking order, and generally do harass the younger ones. It helps if you can put hideouts for them in the run when they're locked up, and separate feeding and watering stations are a plus. How big is your coop (in feet by feet)? Recommended coop space is 4 sq. feet per bird (more is better), and recommended rip in space is 1 foot per bird. Those are recommendations for minimum space. Integration works better if you can give them even more room than that. Can you put another roost in, lower than the one already in there? That will help keep the pullets in their proper place (in the older hens' eyes). Roost space is a big deal in the chicken world.

ETA - younger birds will often remain a sub-flock until they become of laying age, or they've spent a winter cooped up together.

I may have said that wrong. What I meant was multiple feeding and watering stations with both flocks together.

 

[Keltic Fitz]

there is a roosting spot for the new birds. the chicken run is divided now in to two sections. the new birds on one side and the others on the other side. The ratio is 10 to five but there are pullets in the other older house. I have decided to just leave it divided and wait for them to fly over to the other side when they are ready. I think that would be the safes avenue. my smallest pullet had all its feathers plucked out and a bloody head.

 

[Keltic Fitz]

I have not caught the aggressive bird it happened while I was at work but when I do, it will be separated.

 

[bobbi-j]

there is a roosting spot for the new birds. the chicken run is divided now in to two sections. the new birds on one side and the others on the other side. The ratio is 10 to five but there are pullets in the other older house. I have decided to just leave it divided and wait for them to fly over to the other side when they are ready. I think that would be the safes avenue. my smallest pullet had all its feathers plucked out and a bloody head.

Honestly, I don't think the new ones are going to fly over to the other side. They'll most likely be content being their own little flock. Let the small one heal, and try again if you want them all together. Blu Kote on the injured one's head will help her heal and help keep the others from picking at it. Once you take the divider down, the new ones will likely have "homed" to the roost they're currently using as theirs.