3 month old attacked 5-6week old and drew blood.

[FarmerJ0hn]

We got a 3 month-ish old black star (sex link) to put in our newly completed coop, we have been raising some ameraucanas and a polish from a few days old. The ameraucanas are about 4 weeks now and the polish 5-6. The young ones all get along well.

We wanted to introduce them together (and get the young ones outside since they are a bit big and smelly for inside) so I put netting up to shut off 1/3rd of the coop from the rest and put them out there where they could see each other and interact through the net. They've been like that for a week or so. I wanted them to get a little more interaction and have the little ones have access to the run (which is on the other side), so I built a little door in the netting the little ones could get through but not the big one (so they could retreat to their side). We already tried introducing them a little in the past and she has been pretty aggressive.

Well we let them use the door and stayed around to see how things were and she was being very aggressive, grabbing hold of their wings and pecking even while they were retreating and peeping, not getting in her way or starring at her or anything. It wasn't that bad if we knew she was going to stop after pecking each of them, but then she cornered the polish (who had her back to her the whole time) pecked her on the head real hard, grabbed hold of her and tried to jump on top of her like she was going to pin her and do as much damage as she could. The poor polish ended up bleeding on her head. She was just in the corner minding her own business. I was/am furious with the black star. Now I swapped their sides and she gets the 1/3 and they get the 2/3 and run. (she barely used the run and they do)

I always thought they just pecked each other until one retreated or showed submission, and could get bloody if they were both strong willed, but shes pecking them even while they are running away and not challenging her, or just sitting there minding their own business.

Is there any way to introduce them where this wont happen, right now I'm just going to leave it like it is until they are much older, she can live on the small side for all I care, but I feel like even then shes going to be super B*&chy and attack them.

 

[they'reHISchickens]

I think you did the right thing. Some breeds are more agressive than others and I have read before that Polish often come out on the short end.
And no, there is no mercy. They are dinosaurs, remember?

 

[FarmerJ0hn]

Well the polish is the boss of the young flock, but she's nice about it, just giving little pecks when someone gets in the way or challenges. I even see stuff like the silkie got scared into the air by one of the others and basically accidentally challenged him and he just got next/over her and stared at her instead of pecking.

IDK maybe it's just because I've only seen the pecking order stuff in person from the young ones bouts. But even the youtube stuff I have seen they aren't that mean.

And she's a sex link/black star, she's not supposed to be aggressive.

 

[PtldChick]

There's a pretty big size difference between 3 months old and 4-6 weeks old. I think keeping them separated until they're bigger and closer to her size is a wise thing to do. The fact that they can see each other even though not interacting is good, too. I've introduced smaller chickens to larger ones and the smaller ones can run under the cages in the coop (they're up on cinder blocks) to escape if they need to. A few of the lower pecking order chickens would make a point to try to chase them around, but within a week or so, everyone was fine. The big ones only pecked at the smaller iines if they were near them or at the food or water together. Now they leave them alone.

However, mine have a pretty big L-shaped run with bushes and bamboo to hide in and lots of distractions. I think this helped a lot because the little ones were not always right under foot of the big ones. I also have a few Indian Runners and they are the real masters of the run, even though they are not aggressive. But they can get the chickens to move out of their way, even the big cockerals. I don't know if that makes a difference that none of the chickens is top dog over the whole run, just the other chickens.

It's also better once the little ones stop peeping and start making big chicken noises (although that coincides with a bigger size, so who knows?).

 

[henney penny]

I have a small polish and just read that they can get brain damage very easy if pecked on the head to hard because of the way there skull is covered,they are like the silkies with the vaulted skulls.That is a to big of age difference to put them in togather,I also have black sexlinks and red and they are very peacky