Aggressive black sexlink!

[ccstarbuckle]

Hey yall, I have 3 established chickens, one of which is a very large black sexlink. Last spring, I added 4 more chicks and by the time they were large enough, I put them in the chicken yard with the older girls. Since then the black chicken goes nuts on them all the time, chasing them down and pecking them. I mean, it's pretty vicious! Did I make a super rookie mistake in putting them in 2 separate coops? They just started laying eggs and they're sharing the nest in the older girls' coop. They share food and water. I'm wondering if I should either, full on integrate them into one coop, get rid of my best layer (black sexlink) OR, just divide the yard entirely. This is my 4th round with new chickens and integrating them into the established flock and I've never had such a hard time! Thanks for any input you have! Fwiw, I'm not emotionally attached to my black sexlink. I do love her jumbo eggs though. current line up: older girls are olive egger, appenzeller spitzhauben, black sexlink. New girls are: 2 amerucana, 1 bantam amerucana and 1 barred rock. If that's relevant

 

[RJSorensen]

Your willingness to divide the yard for your girls is admirably placed. I like folks whom love their birds. From a practical standpoint you should try to get just one group, long term this is the best solution for everyone. You may have to give the head bird a time out or two during the day(s). Move them all together, rearrange the coop run so as to divert some of the aggression into figuring out what is going on…

Chasing is a line of sight thing, give the new birds a place to 'get around' a corner, hang your feed & water so the birds can duck under them, set some milk crates or other obstacles in the run/coop to break the chasing line of sight. Make a place where the little ones can get into but the big ones can not. You could get rid of the sex link, but there will just be another head hen, it is not her fault I don't think, it is just part of her job description. Kind of like the old saying, "The king is dead! Long live the king". There will always be 'one' so the one you have is as good as whom ever is next in line.

So I suggest changing things up, making get away places, giving a time out (or two), and letting them just work through it. In time it will all be for nought, what problem. Just put in place a plan to get to that point. It may be harder on you than the birds, give it a try and see.

Best to you and your birds,

RJ