BULLYING ISA BROWNS

[New Owner]

Hi Chicken lovers...
My wife and I are new to the joy of keeping chickens. We have some bantam leghorns and they were doing ok until we introduced some isa browns.
Now all the bantams are being bullied and spending the day hiding in the coop.
Will it stop or is this going to be normal behaviour? We are starting to worry that we have made the wrong choice. We were told they were friendly so bit worried, TIA for your advice!
The 4 isas are 18 weeks and 8 Bantams around 12 weeks. We also have 3 Bantams at 18 weeks.

 

[aart]

How big is your coop and run, in feet by feet?
Dimensions and pics would be most helpful.

Did you just toss the new birds in with the existing birds?
That rarely turns out well.

Here's some tips about.....
Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. 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. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.
Good ideas for hiding places:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

 

[BabasCoop]

Yes I just opened the boxes and encouraged them to mingle. First time I’ve done this but I was told isas are very friendly and docile. So I trusted they would be ok. I have since learned this is to people not flocks .
There are places to hide. I have introduced some tree cuttings, perches and under the coop there is a bath. I have three to four food bins, with one water feeder with another with four pecking taps attached to a pipe at opposite sides. The young ones have prob two or three roosters which I need to rehome when I can tell who’s who as I’m not allowed to keep them in my state. 8000sqm minimum to keep a rooster here. The coop is as pictured and has four perches and a wide open nesting area that runs along entire side I added later. Coop is 4.5 x 5.5 ish and run is 4m sq or 15 feet square ish sq with perches added not in photo in corners using wood and branches. I took photo when first built but added later.
Do you think I will be able to wait and see if it works out in a week, and seperate them for weeks if not? Should I just seperate them now. Thanks for your advice I learned a lot. Prob have to rehome some of the smaller ones soon anyhow. Can also introduce new coop if needed but the isa seems don’t want to sleep inside a coop. They were used to a farm like facility that had large pen but no coop. They currently sleep outside coop by choice. FYI I tried to free range but the leghorns wouldn’t come back. They escaped on day one and it’s took me few weeks of trapping them to get them back in pen. They prefer roosting in trees and are good flyers and very fast. Catching them was impossible. Should have been on some funny video website as hilarity ensued. I can rehome or do more work. I just want happy chickens. Hoping time will sort it out as they seem a little less aggressive on day 2.

They are friendly and docile with humans. With other birds that’s a completely different story.

 

[BabasCoop]

100% correct I sold the last 4 I had because they are a problem bird when it comes to other birds. They produce a lot of eggs but are not chicken friendly at all!!

Interesting. My ISA’s I have found to be very friendly. They are completely attached to my husband and they do not seem to have a problem with the other birds in our flock.
Now, they have all been raised together, but I do not observe any sort of aggressive behavior with them at all.

but I realize in his situation these were older birds not familiar with each other so the behavior is understandable.

 

[New Owner]

100% correct I sold the last 4 I had because they are a problem bird when it comes to other birds. They produce a lot of eggs but are not chicken friendly at all!!
I would not introduce chicks until close to equal size. They skinned one of my cockerels last year.

Wow sorry to hear that. They are def friendly to me and they seem to be getting on better. The young ones have remained out today so fingers crossed.

 

[New Owner]

Interesting. My ISA’s I have found to be very friendly. They are completely attached to my husband and they do not seem to have a problem with the other birds in our flock.
Now, they have all been raised together, but I do not observe any sort of aggressive behavior with them at all.

but I realize in his situation these were older birds not familiar with each other so the behavior is understandable.

Beautiful birds and happy hubby. Lol.

 

[MrFluffyandGirls]

It's best to put them in a separate enclosure where they can see each other and get acquainted for a while and not just toss them together. I usually keep the new ones separate from existing ones for 3-4 weeks then free rage them together little so they can have room to run away if need be. and put them up separate after they mingle. after a month or two they usually have the pecking order sorted and I can keep them together.
It's also not healthy to mix chickens from different places like that because they may contaminate each other.

So maybe split them up for now and slowly introduce them and they'll probably adjust to each other better.

 

[Heffalump]

How long ago did you introduce them all?

 

[New Owner]

How long ago did you introduce them all?

Yesterday morning.
They have spent the whole day inside and they get pecked and chased if they come out

 

[New Owner]

Yes I just opened the boxes and encouraged them to mingle. First time I’ve done this but I was told isas are very friendly and docile. So I trusted they would be ok. I have since learned this is to people not flocks .
There are places to hide. I have introduced some tree cuttings, perches and under the coop there is a bath. I have three to four food bins, with one water feeder with another with four pecking taps attached to a pipe at opposite sides. The young ones have prob two or three roosters which I need to rehome when I can tell who’s who as I’m not allowed to keep them in my state. 8000sqm minimum to keep a rooster here. The coop is as pictured and has four perches and a wide open nesting area that runs along entire side I added later. Coop is 4.5 x 5.5 ish and run is 4m sq or 15 feet square ish sq with perches added not in photo in corners using wood and branches. I took photo when first built but added later.
Do you think I will be able to wait and see if it works out in a week, and seperate them for weeks if not? Should I just seperate them now. Thanks for your advice I learned a lot. Prob have to rehome some of the smaller ones soon anyhow. Can also introduce new coop if needed but the isa seems don’t want to sleep inside a coop. They were used to a farm like facility that had large pen but no coop. They currently sleep outside coop by choice. FYI I tried to free range but the leghorns wouldn’t come back. They escaped on day one and it’s took me few weeks of trapping them to get them back in pen. They prefer roosting in trees and are good flyers and very fast. Catching them was impossible. Should have been on some funny video website as hilarity ensued. I can rehome or do more work. I just want happy chickens. Hoping time will sort it out as they seem a little less aggressive on day 2.