Chicken attacking new ones!

[Chickenlovercr]

Hello everyone!

I'm living right now in the highlands of Costa Rica (pretty cold believe it or not haha) and we used to have 4 chickens and a rooster but a few months ago an opossum killed 3 so only the rooster and 1 chicken survived. A few days ago we got 3 chickens, 13 weeks old and yesterday we introduced them to the old "flock" but the old chicken is attacking them and they are really scared, they go up where the nests are and hide there so they haven't eat for hours... I don't know if I should put them down with the others to "force" them to socialize or what?

Thank you in advance!!!

 

[bruceha2000]

The old birds see the new ones as competition for food and social status. It is best to integrate them by putting up a fence in the coop with the new birds on one side (need to make sure the others can't get in). They need to be able to see each other but be separated for a time, as in days.

If you are free ranging during the day you can often let them all out at the same time, they will segregate. If you feed at specific times (as opposed to having food out all the time), make sure they are separated for feeding. As they get more used to each other you can feed them in the same space but should have multiple feeders a distance apart. That isn't always easy to do depending on how much space you have.

 

[Abriana]

Put the new ones in a run for a while. The old one won’t get lonely and they can adjust to each other.

 

[Chickenlovercr]

The old birds see the new ones as competition for food and social status. It is best to integrate them by putting up a fence in the coop with the new birds on one side (need to make sure the others can't get in). They need to be able to see each other but be separated for a time, as in days.

If you are free ranging during the day you can often let them all out at the same time, they will segregate. If you feed at specific times (as opposed to having food out all the time), make sure they are separated for feeding. As they get more used to each other you can feed them in the same space but should have multiple feeders a distance apart. That isn't always easy to do depending on how much space you have.

We do let them out during the day and we have a big area with trees and everything BUT I have two dogs, the one in my picture an a black labrador and oh boy... She likes to chase the new chickens, she didn't do that with the older ones because the rooster protected them but I'm a little afraid to let the new ones out because the rooster won't protect them since they are so "new" to the flock and for four days (apparently is not much time) I put the new girls in a small chicken coop that we have and let the older ones out so they would see each other through the fence but the coop was so small and that's why I didn't leave them there for so long, the permanent chicken coop is big enough though.

Thank you!!

 

[bruceha2000]

Definitely need to keep the dog away from the new ones until you can train her that these are yours and not to be messed with.

 

[Chickenlovercr]

Definitely need to keep the dog away from the new ones until you can train her that these are yours and not to be messed with.

Oh yeah for sure! Right now the older ones are out and the new ones are inside eating finally but is going to be a process I guess... Thank you!!!

 

[bruceha2000]

Yes, it will take some time. Much easier with new chicks raised next to the older birds. They are too small to be seen as competition. They will have to work their way into the pecking order but it is more gradual, not like dropping a group with their own order into another group with their order.
"Can't we all just get along!"

 

[aart]

Welcome to BYC!

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.

This used to be a better search, new format has reduced it's efficacy, but still:
Read up on integration..... BYC advanced search>titles only>integration
This is good place to start reading, BUT some info is outdated IMO:
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock

 

[kwhites634]

Hello everyone!

I'm living right now in the highlands of Costa Rica (pretty cold believe it or not haha) and we used to have 4 chickens and a rooster but a few months ago an opossum killed 3 so only the rooster and 1 chicken survived. A few days ago we got 3 chickens, 13 weeks old and yesterday we introduced them to the old "flock" but the old chicken is attacking them and they are really scared, they go up where the nests are and hide there so they haven't eat for hours... I don't know if I should put them down with the others to "force" them to socialize or what?

Thank you in advance!!!

They'll sort it it by themselves, even if the rooster isn't a chicken ( sorry...couldn't resist)

 

[kwhites634]

Welcome to BYC!

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.

This used to be a better search, new format has reduced it's efficacy, but still:
Read up on integration..... BYC advanced search>titles only>integration
This is good place to start reading, BUT some info is outdated IMO:
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock

Too late now, but I would have thought someone would have mentioned keeping the new birds quarantined for a couple of weeks, away from the rooster but within sight, in case one of them is diseased. That would have also made integration easier.