Integrating New Pullets - The Final Steps

[ncmtnmama]

Good afternoon all!

I have four - 25 week old hens and two hens that are 21 weeks. They are all about the same size. We've had them in adjacent pens for four weeks, and at night, the little girls go into a dog crate and into the garage.

The first few times we added the little girls to the run the big girls (mostly 1) were awful. No one got hurt, but a lot of feathers got pulled and the new girls were terrified. They came from a large farm, so were used to living with other chickens. So next we had them do some free ranging with no problems. We are on day four of putting the new girls into the run with everyone. There has been no real violence - any pecking has been mostly standard pecking order, put them in their place pecks. But the new girls tend to say up on a roost bar most of the time and I'm concerned if they are getting enough food and water. There is a waterer and food in the coop area of the run and also a set in the full run where the new girls hang out.

Will they simply get down and stand their ground when they get hungry enough?

And finally, is it time to start putting them into the hen house at night with the others and just try to get out early enough so that no one gets hurt before I open the door?

Maybe I'm just too worried.

 

[aart]

The first few times we added the little girls to the run the big girls (mostly 1) were awful

Probably the low bird of the older flock, they are usually the most aggressive to new birds.
How big is coop, in feet by feet?
Dimensions and pics, inside and out, would help here.
Separate roosts can really help.

Here's some tips about.....
Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.
Good ideas for hiding places:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

 

[Ridgerunner]

Aart asked good questions, it would help to know what you are working with, especially the size and layout of your facilities. You only having 6 total that implies room may be tight. Photos can be really informative. Are the older and/or younger ones laying eggs yet? That has a lot to do with maturity levels. Do you consider your run predator proof to the point that you are comfortable leaving the pop door open at night?

With mine the immature chickens avoid the mature chickens as much as they can. If they invade the personal space of a mature chicken they are likely to get pecked, even if the immature one is twice the size of the mature chicken. So they avoid them as much as they can. You've noticed a difference with them in the run and them free ranging. That's probably a big part of the reason, they can't avoid all that well in the run. That's why they are up on the roost, that's the best place for them to avoid the older ones.

Same thing applies at night, at least as far as them settling in to sleep at night. My juveniles don't sleep on the main roosts with the adults until they mature enough to force their way into the pecking order, for pullets typically about the time they start to lay. If they can't sleep on the main roosts where are yours going to go to be safe from the older ones? The nests? Is your coop big enough where even that would be safe? The size and layout of your coop and your run really is important.

I don't have your issues. I have enough room outside that they can easily avoid each other. My coop is pretty big and I put up a juvenile roost lower than the main roosts and horizontally separated from them but higher than my nests to give the juveniles a safe place to go. Your coop may not be big enough for that. I have a feeding and watering station inside the coop and a few outside, widely separated so they can all eat in peace.

I'm assuming your space is cramped from what you describe about their behaviors. There are ways to overcome much of this but we need to know what you are working with before we can get very specific. Or maybe it is something else.