adding young chicks to older chickens

[treiter]

I have some 10 week old chicks and need to add them to my coop which has 6 month old chickens. when I do the bigger ones are attacking the younger chicks. is this normal or what can i do.

 

[CowgirlPenny]

Yes. There will be lots of pecking and screaming like they are being killed. As long as there is no blood, just leave them. That's why they call it the pecking order. More dominant hens have to assert themselves as the boss ladies. My pullets would not even come down off the roost bars for a week. I never saw them eat, and eventually had to hang a small waterer in there just because they were so afraid of the 12 hens and would not come down. Now you would never know and that was just in July. Everyone is friendly and there is no pecking except at meal time when one of the older ones wants to eat, she'll peck a younger one to get out of her way.

With yours being so much younger, you may want to wait a few more weeks or put up some type of barrier so they can be together but not 'together' for a while. Mine were just about 5 weeks difference in age but I had two separate groups from Feb and April that we did not blend until July.

 

[elmo]

Usually, it's recommended not to try to integrate different age chickens until the young 'uns are full grown, or nearly so.

 

[loanwizard]

Chickens are strange creatures. I built a big coop for my 38 layers, and built them a 200 foot yard which 2 or 3 continuously escaped from, but I digress. I had salvage a couple of suburban pens for my Silkie and Cochin bunch (4). In another, I have 7 6 week old chicks. I decided to take the fence down and let them free range. I let the bantam group out too. I have had some of my chicks escape, but everyone knows where he or she sleeps and other than some very minor pecking, I have had no trouble. Surprised me. Depressed me too. I thought I could be some chicks hero and save her from a big cock, but alas, my heroism was not needed.