Roo won't accept new hens

[cheekiechickie]

I have an established flock of 2-4 year old chickens. I lost quite a few over the years and am down to my roo and 3 hens.
I want to add, so I have 8 new hens, now 16 weeks old. I did the see, but no touch method for the last month and a half, and they are about the same size as the established hens (Two hens from the established flock are bullies). I decided to let them all free rage today, but my roo very quickly gathered his three girls and left. He continued to move them away from my new chicks every time they met up. Do I need to try to introduce them in a closed pen instead or will he grow out of this?

 

[rIrs roost]

I have an established flock of 2-4 year old chickens. I lost quite a few over the years and am down to my roo and 3 hens.
I want to add, so I have 8 new hens, now 16 weeks old. I did the see, but no touch method for the last month and a half, and they are about the same size as the established hens (Two hens from the established flock are bullies). I decided to let them all free rage today, but my roo very quickly gathered his three girls and left. He continued to move them away from my new chicks every time they met up. Do I need to try to introduce them in a closed pen instead or will he grow out of this?

are the new jens already laying? He'll get use to them and if they're aren't laying yet that could be why he's ignoring them

 

[aart]

Could it be that he was keeping the old bullies away from the new girls.

Give them time....and observe, could be very interesting.
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. You don't want to interfere or remove new birds, or they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Make sure the newbies always have access to the area they have been living in.

 

[buckabucka]

I had this problem once, but with just 3 new hens. They were already of laying age, but the rooster would attack them every time I let them out of their separate enclosure. No one got hurt, but the new hens were terrorized. I ended out getting rid of that rooster, but someone had a good suggestion that you might try.
Remove the rooster from the flock and keep him a separate area (cage, or whatever you have) for a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, integrate the new hens with the older ones. After they have integrated successfully, bring the caged rooster back and see if he will accept his new flock. Perhaps by then, the youngsters will be laying, which also should help.
Good luck with them

 

[RedDrgn]

No worries, and letting them free range with access to each other is a good practice for allowing them to get used to each other without forcing the issue. Penning them all up together without any separation or means of the new getting away from the old can cause for an initial introduction is essentially throwing strangers into the old flocks established territory and without any established pecking order. At best, it's likely to result in some pecking and chasing, and at worst, dead birds if not monitored closely.

Keep ranging them and let them come to terms on their own. It takes times, and in our experience, while new additions do eventually integrate, they never FULLY integrate, as in they'll always tend to gather within their own original groups even when altogether as a flock.

 

[Ridgerunner]

At 16 weeks they are not hens they are pullets. Be glad your rooster is behaving like a responsible adult and is not a pedophile.

Those pullets will probably remain a separate flock until they mature enough to lay. Until then they are so far down in the pecking order they will be afraid of the hens. Rightly so, there is a good chance the hens will peck them or otherwise beat them up if the pullets invade their personal space. Avoiding adults, especially hens, is perfectly normal behavior. It sounds like things are going perfectly.

I keep seeing that thing about size but I've yet hear of any 16 week old pullet actually standing up and fighting a mature hen. It's maturity, not size. I integrate chicks several times a year, both brooder raised and broody raised. I sure have not seen any 16 week old pullet stand up to an adult hen. Sometimes they mingle with the rest of the flock at a very young age much more than many people would believe, but remaining a separate sub-flock, especially at night when sleeping, is normal.

Be patient. To me it sounds like you are doing everything perfectly. Don't force them into tight spaces, let them work it out. If the pullets want to go to sleep separately from the hens, like where they have been sleeping, that's great since it should be predator proof. When the pullets mature enough they will merge into one flock. They will work it out if you let them.

 

[Chickassan]

It just takes time, right now I've basically got two flocks.One flock is mature hens and the rooster one is cockrels and pullets. They range in close proximity but never really together although the youngsters are getting braver and everyday get a bit closer. In the coop the teenagers have their own side which will eventually be joined to the main coop with the adults when everyone is closer in size and maturity. My rooster does the same thing, but I trust him,he knows his rooster business way better than i do.

 

[lazy gardener]

Both Bucka and RR hit the nail on the head. In full agreement with both of them and their approaches/assessment. I would continue to free range, and perhaps segregate the roo while giving tasty treats to the pullets and hens.

I started integrating my pullets into the adult flock at about 9 weeks. That went well, though the hens are still pulling a few feathers, and chasing the pullets. The roo has only chased a pullet on 2 occasions. This week, I started integrating 2 Buck Eye cockerels into the adult flock. That has been more interesting, with hens and their brooder mate pullets chasing the cockerels around quite a bit. Those poor boys are shaking in their knickers, which I'd rather see than have them acting like hormonal teen agers.

 

[cheekiechickie]

They are not laying yet, but do love to check out the new nesting boxes.
I already have a bachelor pad of other roos, so I don't want to lock up my current dominant roo, but I guessential I should reserve that as an option if he ever does get too rowdy with the new girls.
Day 3 of co-free ranging things are still the same- no fighting which works great for me.
Thanks for being ever so supportive guys! I will be keeping you posted on progress as it develops

 

[cheekiechickie]

We just lost one of my older hens to the extreme heat here. The new coop I built had more windows and a fan, so I've been moving my last two laying hens and the roo into the coop with the little ones for the past couple nights. No fights have broken out, they avoid each other like the plague, and go their separate when I open up early in the morning. Bright side my young roos have been loving their bachelor pad and the cool treats that go with it.