Can't they get along???

[Debora Howe]

I have some 12 week old chicks that my husband got me for Easter and I have 6,1 year old hens. I put the chicks in the coop in a separate pen so that could be observed but not touched. About 4 weeks ago I started to put them out in separate runs so they again could be close and seen but not touched, then about a week ago at night I let them be all together in the coop to roost together i stayed in their to see how it went and had no issues. The hens roosted on one side and the chicks on the other. The next morning I went out at sunrise and they were all getting along, the chicks were keeping their distance from the hens. So I then opened the coop door to let them all be together in the run and all hell broke loose, the hens where running and pecking and this just would not stop. So I separated them. The chicks do have the option of running back into the coop and hiding in there own pen, the door is not big enough for the hens to get through. I try to do this a couple of hours every day but the minute the chicks see the hens coming they run into the coop and they still roost separately. Is this normal or am i doing some thing wrong, should i force the chicks outside to be with the hens or will they get it in their own time. i also ended up with a rooster in the batch of chicks my husband got me and he is a briar rock and he is getting huge and he is terrorizing the chicks he like hangs onto their necks from behind and will not let go, i have intervened when i see him do this which I do not know if that is right or wrong but i hate seeing it. I guess i need everyones thought on these issues.

 

[RWise]

Some pecking order will happen, as long as it is not doing damage, I let it go.
The chicks need a place to eat the older birds cannot get to. I do an area surrounded with 3x3 wire, the chicks move freely through it but the hens cannot. Multiple water sources, many hiding places, lots of room.
Let them go to the roost they are comfortable with, as long as they go.
On the cock, can you keep a rooster once he starts crowing? I would suggest making him a bachelor pad and keep him in it until he is at least 1 YO. He will now be a rooster and much calmer. His grabbing the girls neck is part of mounting, he will figure it out, at least most do.

 

[Debora Howe]

And he is crowing all hours of the day which is fine i think it is cool. bachelor pad it is, but i feel bad if he is not interacting with the other chicks, but at the same time i do not want to see them hurt and feel so intimidated that they won't come out and play. thanks for your advise.

 

[aart]

"Can't they get along?"
Nope, they don't....not until the chicks are laying, even then there will be pecking order stuff going on. It can be maddening, but it's how they do.

Was the 'adding them to roost at night' the first physical contact they had?

Agrees with everything RWise said...exact the cockerel part, I get rid of mine at 12-16 weeks.

Here's some other tips that might help....tho it seems like you have done most of them, maybe add some stuff to the run for hiding places?

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.

 

[Debora Howe]

Yes the first contact they had was at the roost even though they did not sleep together. The chicks kept to them selves and so did the hens, the chicks could have gone into the cage that i made for them but they choose not to. It is pretty much when they are outside is when all the violence happens sort of speak. i will take the rooster out i think that will help also. Thank you for your advise, I will take all i can get.