Can you teach a chicken to chicken?

[LeahG]

We got 2 new hens yesterday at a swap meet. They were in good shape and weren't overage chickens so we thought they would know how to act like chickens...
Brought them home and let them out in the yard and it's pretty obvious they have not free ranged before and don't know what to do. The other two hens we have bullied them a bit, nothing that hurt them but it didn't look like they were used to a flock dynamic. Is there anything we can do to help them adjust?

 

[sourland]

Give them time to adjust. Birds hate change.

 

[saysfaa]

What sourland said

and not hover over them. The less you do things to them or for them and the less they know you are watching them, the better for the first few days at least.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

We got 2 new hens yesterday at a swap meet. They were in good shape and weren't overage chickens so we thought they would know how to act like chickens...
Brought them home and let them out in the yard and it's pretty obvious they have not free ranged before and don't know what to do. The other two hens we have bullied them a bit, nothing that hurt them but it didn't look like they were used to a flock dynamic. Is there anything we can do to help them adjust?

We added two pullets, then 6 and 8 weeks, to our three older ones, then 27 weeks old. There was (and is) bossiness, but only one older pullet was mildly bullying. Note: she was lowest on the 3-bird pecking order.

Bossiness vs bullying (a very informal guide from my observations):

Bossy: 1-2 pecks at a newcomer until the newcomer runs off
Bully: pecks until blood is drawn, pulls feathers, chases and continues to peck

Bossy: when newcomer gets too close, flaps wings a few times and newcomer retreats
Bully: sees newcomer on the other side of the run or yard, runs over to chase the newcomer, may try to trap in corner

Bossy: demands to eat or drink first and makes newcomer wait
Bully: performs “resource hoarding” and blocks access to feed and water, even if she isn’t eating or drinking at the moment.

Like I wrote above, this is very subjective, based on watching ours.

Just make sure that there are multiple feeding and watering stations some distance away from each other. You have an advantage in that you can free range. Just give it time and keep an eye out for actual injuries being inflicted.

 

[ChickenChick46]

We added two pullets, then 6 and 8 weeks, to our three older ones, then 27 weeks old. There was (and is) bossiness, but only one older pullet was mildly bullying. Note: she was lowest on the 3-bird pecking order.

Bossiness vs bullying (a very informal guide from my observations):

Bossy: 1-2 pecks at a newcomer until the newcomer runs off
Bully: pecks until blood is drawn, pulls feathers, chases and continues to peck

Bossy: when newcomer gets too close, flaps wings a few times and newcomer retreats
Bully: sees newcomer on the other side of the run or yard, runs over to chase the newcomer, may try to trap in corner

Bossy: demands to eat or drink first and makes newcomer wait
Bully: performs “resource hoarding” and blocks access to feed and water, even if she isn’t eating or drinking at the moment.

Like I wrote above, this is very subjective, based on watching ours.

Just make sure that there are multiple feeding and watering stations some distance away from each other. You have an advantage in that you can free range. Just give it time and keep an eye out for actual injuries being inflicted.

I love this summation! This is the best explanation!

Many people here know how new I am to chickens. I got my first chicks the last week of July. Chicken math hit hard, and I now have a flock of 20.15 bantams of several breeds are in the coop, and 5 LF chicks are in the brooder. That said, take my experience with a grain of salt.

I integrated my then 1 and 3 week olds together inside in the brooder first. It didn't take long, 2 days before I was comfortable leaving them all together all the time.

Then I integrated 2 older groups of 4 each in the coop. Then 7 and 8 weeks. And the behavior was exactly what Mother of Chaos explained in the "bossiness" details. I only had one instance of blood, and it was a cockerel who bit the comb of another cockerel. Both are still in there together, and there have been no more issues.

When it came time to integrate the brooder babies with the coop crew, I started them out in an enclosed run, inside the big run, so they could try some some see no touch. I kept them fully separate for a few days, then let the littles out to mingle while I watched. There was again the "bossy" behavior, but nothing I would call true bullying. After about a week, it was basically all normal.

Even now, the big girls like to remind the youngest ones who is in chargeon occasion, but there is nothing that I would consider worrisome going on.

Patience is key for sure. Good luck!