Bullying help please !!

[Keiki]

Hello everyone!
This is my third year of having chickens and have been lucky enough to never have had a bully. I had a flock of 8 but had an animal break in and steal 5 … very sad. I went to our local feed and got 2 16 week old speckled Sussex. The first day I didn’t notice much. Today I caught the one attack her back end while I was standing in the run. I picked her up later and saw she is actually missing the tip of her top beak!! It’s small and no blood im pretty sure it happend here because she didn’t have it when I picked her out also her butt is plucked and wasn’t like that either or not noticeable at all. I feel terrible for her and separated them immediately for the night still next to each other but out of reach I could tell she relaxed right away and went from standing in a ball to walking around. My girls have always been good introducing new member never agressieve. My others are austrolorps and black sex links. Im alittle scared to introduce my new chickens now…
The new girls have the run that is big enough for al chickens so being crowded is not the problem. and my older ones free range at night they are still separated but al in the same coop tips please how to handle this!!! Thanks

 

[rosemarythyme]

Did you do any sort of introduction period before adding the new birds?

You said:

My girls have always been good introducing new member never agressieve.

How did you introduce other birds before? Did you do anything differently this time? How old were they upon introduction?

 

[Keiki]

Did you do any sort of introduction period before adding the new birds?

You said:

How did you introduce other birds before? Did you do anything differently this time? How old were they upon introduction?

I always introduce them while free ranging. The new bully is the new one I got they were already together when I bought them, sister … so I’m confused why this is happening. Neither seem sick walk around and eat and drink well. The two new ones are still completely separate from my flock they can see each other but not touch. My older girls free range during the day the new pullets are in a run.

 

[Keiki]

I always introduce them while free ranging. The new bully is the new one I got they were already together when I bought them, sisters … so I’m confused why this is happening. Neither seem sick walk around and eat and drink well. The two new ones are still completely separate from my flock they can see each other but not touch. My older girls free range during the day the new pullets are in a run.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I always introduce them while free ranging. The new bully is the new one I got they were already together when I bought them, sister … so I’m confused why this is happening. Neither seem sick walk around and eat and drink well. The two new ones are still completely separate from my flock they can see each other but not touch. My older girls free range during the day the new pullets are in a run.

Ok, I think I'm losing some of the details. The bully is one of the new 16 wk olds? And the bullying is only happening at night when they're cooped together because otherwise they're separate? Can you put a temporary wall in the coop (like chicken wire or taut bird netting is fine) to keep the 2 groups apart for now, until they get to know each other better?

 

[Keiki]

I’m sorry English is my second language I’m probably not explaining it right let me try again. The two new girls are separate from my flock day and night. During the day they go out together the two of them in to the run. My fock goes out and free ranges. At night the two new girls were together in a dog crate until I notice the intense bullying. Last night I put them in two separate crates. they are on a see no touch basis with my flock I have not introduced them to the flock physically and I’m scared to do so now. I’m also confused why this is happening since they are suppose to be sisters and came together. I’m going to call my local feed and ask if maybe they are not sisters? And they don’t actually know each other? That’s why I said I have never had a bully. It’s newcomer, beating up newcomer…
Hopefully I explained a bit better!

 

[rosemarythyme]

I’m sorry English is my second language I’m probably not explaining it right let me try again. The two new girls are separate from my flock day and night. During the day they go out together the two of them in to the run. My fock goes out and free ranges. At night the two new girls were together in a dog crate until I notice the intense bullying. Last night I put them in two separate crates. they are on a see no touch basis with my flock I have not introduced them to the flock physically and I’m scared to do so now. I’m also confused why this is happening since they are suppose to be sisters and came together. I’m going to call my local feed and ask if maybe they are not sisters? And they don’t actually know each other? That’s why I said I have never had a bully. It’s newcomer, beating up newcomer…
Hopefully I explained a bit better!

Ahhh ok that helps a lot. Well it doesn't matter if the 2 new birds are really sisters, but it might make a difference if they did not come from the same pen or did not meet each other before they sold them to you.

It might actually help to go ahead and introduce them to the older birds while you supervise, the older ones might help put the bully in her place because they're not going to tolerate that behavior if she acts like that towards them. And you might want to either put a cage in the run or otherwise split the run when you cannot supervise, so the bully bird cannot reach the other one. At night, it'd be better to keep the 2 new birds separate for now since you can't supervise at night.