Integrating chickens and it not going well

[homeschoolchick]

Hello
I have 4 Naked Necks, and 2 Polish. The Polish are 5 months old, and the NNs are 4 months old. I had the NNs first (got them in July around 4/5 weeks old I was told), and then got the Polish from a neighbor in August. I kept the 2 Polish separate for 2 weeks and then brought them to be "seen" in a cage next to the NNs, for 2 weeks. Ever since the introduction, it has gone horrible. The NNs do not like the Polish. The cockerel especially. He will jump on them and rip feathers out of their heads. They submit and he still attacks. The girls will chase them too, but don't seem to be a rough. However, now all four gang up on them. It has slowly gotten worse, to the point of them cornering the one Polish and the cockerel making her head bleed. I always supervise the "free range" interactions. When they aren't in a huge fenced in area "free ranging", then they are in separate runs next to each other. They have separate coops.
I am very discouraged and worry they will never get a long. The one Polish is the only hen now, she has so far layed two eggs. She will squat for the cockerel, but he just pounces on her and rips her feathers out. I think if I wasn't watching them, the four would have killed her the day she was cornered and got a bloody head.
I don't know what to do at this point. Any suggestions?

 

[homeschoolchick]

I am going to have to figure out how to add photos. I took pictures but am at a loss on adding them.

I have one cockerel only.

 

[homeschoolchick]

Thank you for the link! I read it and now have good ideas to enhance and clutter the runs

I have kept the cockerel in the run and let all the girls free range together, and it wasn't as dramatic, but the NNs still gang up and chase around the Polish. Keeping them in a run together won't work. The run is too small, it seems. The Polish will stay on one side for awhile and all seems fine, but then all of a sudden the chase is on, cornering happens, and head feathers get pulled.
The most docile Polish always freaks out, runs into things, gets herself cornered and gets hurt.

 

[rosemarythyme]

House the Polish separately 100% of the time (or only allow free ranging together while supervised). Because of the head feathers they often get bullied by "normal" looking chickens.

 

[ChickyCh00k]

Here's how to upload a photo from your phone :

 

[homeschoolchick]

Everything is a work in progress. The coop is about to have a covered run. The metal runs will be used for bad weather as well. Right now the two groups are kept separate in the runs and separate in the two coops at night.

 

[ChickyCh00k]

What do you mean by large clutter?

Things that the chickens can hide in/on/behind... large hollowed out logs, old end table or wooden chair on its side, a lean-to type structure, etc...

Here's a thread with some ideas:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

 

[rosemarythyme]

What do you mean by large clutter?
I am just surprised the cockerel hurts the only girl that squats for him. What surprises me the most is that the Polish hen seems to like him, even though he attacks her.
I do hope age will calm things down.

Problem is he's still young - think horny teenager. And some roosters no matter their age aren't exactly gentlemanly.

Have you tried putting the cockerel in the Polish area, and then putting the Polishes in with only the NN pullets? If so, what happens?

Things that the chickens can hide in/on/behind... large hollowed out logs, old end table or wooden chair on its side, a lean-to type structure, etc...

Here's a thread with some ideas:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

^ This!

You have a lot of smaller clutter in the runs, but larger items that can effectively break line of sight can help.

 

[aart]

First thing I'd do is remove the male to a separate enclosure.
See how that goes.

Post dimensions and pics of your coop and run so we can see the scenario and offer viable suggestions.

Hindsight: may have been much easier to integrate as soon as you got the newer ones.

 

[homeschoolchick]

Thank you.
I quarantined the Polish, which is why I waited. I will have to take pictures tomorrow.

I might have to keep them separate 100% of the time, but my second coop is small, and was going to be only used as a brooder or quarantine coop.
For the future, will showgirls get a long with Polish? I have seen many people cross polish with NNs, and thought this would be fine. I really wanted mostly a NN flock.

When I had chickens, a long time ago, I had a mixed flock but the babies were from broodies and I never had chickens fighting. This is new for me.