11-12 Week old cockerel squabbling with only some of the pullets

[KCD]

I have some 11-12 week old chicks that I recently integrated into my flock. My husband and kids brought home 6 bantams (mixed) and 2 standard (EE and barred rock) as day olds. They were all in the brooder together without any issues and transitioned out to my second coop without any issues either. I just integrated them into my main coop about 2 weeks ago with the big girls and now they’ve started having issues. (Have not had any issues with the big girls. The littles have plenty of places to get away from them and they all free range). The issue is between the silkie cockerel (one of the littles) and the EE and barred rock littles. He’s a bit of a turd anyway, but he’s only causing issues with those 2. I’m assuming it’s because they are the only ones, other than the big girls (that he runs from) that are the same size/slightly bigger than him. They are both super submissive and have clearly given him the go-ahead to be at the top of their sub-pecking order, but he keeps running them away from their little flock. Everyone free ranges all day and I have multiple feeders and waterers available, so no issue there. I feel bad that those 2 are pretty much left on their own. I’m sure they’ll eventually join the big girls when they’re older. The real issue is happening at night. The littles have a crate inside the coop that they all sleep in so they can get away from the big girls. The last 3 days, the silkie will not allow the EE or barred rock into the crate. They end up cramming themselves next to the crate, against the wall of the coop. I have plenty of room inside the coop so I added a second crate for those 2, but they won’t use it. They prefer to sleep next to the other crate and wall. I’m assuming they want to be close to the others like they’ve always been?? I just don’t get what the issue is with this cockerel. I’m tempted to put the 2 back into the other coop (it has a shared run so they’d still be able to see each other) but I don’t think they’d be happy there and I don’t want to make the integration harder down the road. What do you think??? No one is injured and I’m not concerned about any potential injuries. He’s really just forcing them out. I just don’t get why he’s all of a sudden doing this. He’s fine with all the bantams.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Sorry, I'm not quite understanding the problem, but cockerel are moody troublemakers sometimes. Also sometimes some younger ones go off by themselves. That's normal. I personally wouldn't mess with anything until theirs actual problems. Than I'd remove the troublemakers.

 

[Mrs. K]

I think I would try pulling the cockerel and see how the dynamics change. Are the pair let back into the main group? Some birds just don't get along, and it might me you need to solve for peace in the flock.

Mrs K

 

[KCD]

Sorry, I'm not quite understanding the problem, but cockerel are moody troublemakers sometimes. Also sometimes some younger ones go off by themselves. That's normal. I personally wouldn't mess with anything until theirs actual problems. Than I'd remove the troublemakers.

The issue is that the cockerel will not let the 2 standard size pullets into the crate inside the coop or out in the run to get away from the big hens. (I have dog crates with chicken wire over part of the opening that only the littles can get through.) The big girls haven’t done anything, but the cockerel has now made it impossible for those 2 to get away if needed. I don’t think it’s an issue at all during the day because they all free range so can find somewhere to get away and I have multiple feeders and waterers, but at night when they’re all together, that’s what I’m worried about. I also don’t know why he started having an issue with only these 2 when they’ve all been together as day olds without any issues.

 

[KCD]

I think I would try pulling the cockerel and see how the dynamics change. Are the pair let back into the main group? Some birds just don't get along, and it might me you need to solve for peace in the flock.

Mrs K

Right now, everyone is together in the main coop. Think I should try pulling the cockerel out and putting him in the 2nd coop? I think the banties will be upset with his departure as they are all bonded. He’s not injuring the 2 standards or anything, just keeping them out of the crates (aka safe spots). I’m really only concerned about the evenings, as there is plenty of places they can get away while free ranging. I’m willing to remove him and see what happens though!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

The issue is that the cockerel will not let the 2 standard size pullets into the crate inside the coop or out in the run to get away from the big hens. (I have dog crates with chicken wire over part of the opening that only the littles can get through.) The big girls haven’t done anything, but the cockerel has now made it impossible for those 2 to get away if needed. I don’t think it’s an issue at all during the day because they all free range so can find somewhere to get away and I have multiple feeders and waterers, but at night when they’re all together, that’s what I’m worried about. I also don’t know why he started having an issue with only these 2 when they’ve all been together as day olds without any issues.

They are starting to sexually mature. Cockerel can get some goofy ideas in their heads sometimes. I personally would pen the cockerel up for a few weeks to months.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I've never seen anything like this with chicks but I don't keep Silkies or bantams. So I'm just guessing what might be going on. At that age he's starting to feel the hormones that tell him to become flock master. Your bantams are mixed (they are not all Silkies) so size is the big difference in those two and some of the other bantams. It's not just appearance. My guess is that he sees them as potential rivals for that flock master position, at least in that sub-flock, so he is trying to keep them from challenging him. Something like how a mature hen (usually the dominant hen) will sometimes go out of her way to beat up an immature cockerel, she sees a potential rival and wants to maintain power as long as she can. You may see something along those lines later with your hens and that cockerel but since they free range it's probably not a big deal. They'll probably work it out.

My goal in integration is that no one gets hurt. My goal as they go through puberty is that no one gets hurt. Welcome to the start of puberty and a cockerel's hormones. As long as no one is being injured I try to be patient and let them work it out between themselves. Observe, of course. If you need to, take action. But from what you describe I don't see any need to.

The bigs are not hurting the young ones. The way you've integrated and with the room you have that is not a surprise. Yours are about the age mine typically start roosting. The way my coop is set up they don't roost on the main roosts with the adults but I put up a separate roost for juveniles, higher than the nests, lower than he main roosts, and horizontally separated. The juveniles are not sleeping in a protected place where the adults can't get them, they are in the open. I don't know how big your coop is but the point of this is that I think you are worrying more about what the hens are going to do to those two pullets than you need to.

Unless something changes I don't see a need for you to interfere.

 

[KCD]

I've never seen anything like this with chicks but I don't keep Silkies or bantams. So I'm just guessing what might be going on. At that age he's starting to feel the hormones that tell him to become flock master. Your bantams are mixed (they are not all Silkies) so size is the big difference in those two and some of the other bantams. It's not just appearance. My guess is that he sees them as potential rivals for that flock master position, at least in that sub-flock, so he is trying to keep them from challenging him. Something like how a mature hen (usually the dominant hen) will sometimes go out of her way to beat up an immature cockerel, she sees a potential rival and wants to maintain power as long as she can. You may see something along those lines later with your hens and that cockerel but since they free range it's probably not a big deal. They'll probably work it out.

My goal in integration is that no one gets hurt. My goal as they go through puberty is that no one gets hurt. Welcome to the start of puberty and a cockerel's hormones. As long as no one is being injured I try to be patient and let them work it out between themselves. Observe, of course. If you need to, take action. But from what you describe I don't see any need to.

The bigs are not hurting the young ones. The way you've integrated and with the room you have that is not a surprise. Yours are about the age mine typically start roosting. The way my coop is set up they don't roost on the main roosts with the adults but I put up a separate roost for juveniles, higher than the nests, lower than he main roosts, and horizontally separated. The juveniles are not sleeping in a protected place where the adults can't get them, they are in the open. I don't know how big your coop is but the point of this is that I think you are worrying more about what the hens are going to do to those two pullets than you need to.

Unless something changes I don't see a need for you to interfere.

Yes, you’ve got exactly what I’m saying! I’ve never had this happen with a cockerel doing this before (well I have had past issues with cockerels injuring younger pullets) but not this same situation. I’ve also never had bantams, silkies or tried to combine the 2 with standards before, so all of it was a learning curve!

I think you’re exactly right about the power struggle of the pecking order because the other banties are quite small (Duccles and old english game bantams) and the cockerel is the only silkie, so other than the standards, he is much larger than the rest of the littles. Do you think being with the big girls spurred that? Just curious for future integrations.

There have been some new developments. Last night I was going to put the silkie into the 2nd coop but the EE pullet was in the crate with them, so I left him there. The barred rock was still on the outside, but it was improvement! This afternoon I spotted both standard pullets hanging out with the littles, including the crabby silkie cockerel. That hasn’t happened since they integrated into the main coop. I just locked up the coop for the night and the EE was back in the crate with everyone again. The barred rock still wasn’t, but everyone appeared hunkered down and content. So it looks like things are normalizing again and I’ll just keep an eye on them.

I have multiple roosts but they are about the same height. There is one that is on the opposite side of the coop as the others and that’s usually where any new additions start out, but since these guys are bantams, do you think that I should put one lower/higher to keep them out of eye level of the big girls? I’m way more worried about this integration than I’ve ever been because they’re so small!!! I have some pissy hens so it makes me nervous! So far no issues, but I’ve had some terrible integrations even with precautions. Some of my big girls are giant breeds so it just makes me nervous! I never would have picked bantams (I can thank my dear husband and kids for that) but they have been fun!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I have multiple roosts but they are about the same height. There is one that is on the opposite side of the coop as the others and that’s usually where any new additions start out, but since these guys are bantams, do you think that I should put one lower/higher to keep them out of eye level of the big girls?

As long as they leave them alone I wouldn't. I once had a group of young ones sleeping in the far back corner of the main roosts when a hen left her normal sleeping spot to go harass them. They just flew down to the floor to get away from her.

They had been raised by broody hen, she had protected them when they were sleeping on the roosts. But when she weaned them she left them on their own to handle stuff like that. The chicks did handle it themselves, they just moved away.

 

[KCD]

Well, making some baby steps. Two of the bantam pullets were roosted on the main roost with the big girls last night. The silkie cockerel was beside himself, pacing back and forth under the roost and clucking away, but no one moved, including the big girls. This morning the barred rock was still next to the crate but the 2 bantams that roosted with the big girls were out in the run with the big girls while the rest of the littles were still in the coop. I’m feeling more comfortable even with the barred rock still not rejoining the rest.