Chicken Pecking

[Laura516]

Hi! I recently mixed chickens. Even ration... 5 old ones 5 new ones. It was going really well until all of a sudden it wasn't. The two newer australorps are getting viciously pecked by all 5 of the old ones. After I saw blood I separated them for a few days until they seemed better. Everyone else is mixing fine, but these two australorps hang out in the coop and then become sitting ducks for pecking when the big ones come in. What should I do? I plan on making a second coop door so that the chickens have an escape route. I have increased free range time. I am going to increase protein but haven't yet. Suggestions? The new ones aren't tiny they are almost laying age

 

[THEChIcKeNwhisperer354]

How old are the new ones?

 

[THEChIcKeNwhisperer354]

If they are still little wait until they are full grown then try to put them into the flock. You can also try the see no touch method I find that works for most chickens.

 

[Laura516]

They are 20ish weeks

 

[THEChIcKeNwhisperer354]

They are usaly as big as there going to get when they lay their first egg. Sepurate them from the rest of the flock. When they lay their first egg put them back in. It's best to put them in a box where the other chickens can see them and talk to them but, not peck or hurt them. It can take a while for the main flock to accept the two.

 

[THEChIcKeNwhisperer354]

Australorps are pretty big chickens. Is their combs big or small? Sometimes smaller combs can put them lower on the pecking order. Only put them back in when their wounds are healed. If there is ANY blood take them out immediatly. Chickens naturaly peck at red and can hurt the hens more if you leave them.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Do you have a run or is it strictly free range? If there's a run, how long are they in there vs free range time? Photos of run would help, if using a run. Dimensions of run?

Where is the bullying happening, just in the doorway of the coop, or is it going on all day? Dimensions of coop? How much roost space is there?

 

[cluckcluckhens]

Sounds like you have a pecking order going on with the old Australorps. I never had this with the Australorps at all. What I did have is a bad hen killing my Australorp hens years ago. The hen that did this we had to cull her. Drawing blood on the top of the head.

We have 10 chickens. Our run is 10x20 and our coop is the same size.

Pecking order will happen if you don't have a Rooster. Look this up. Our first Roo left us and when this happened one of the hens started killing the Australorps one at a time.

If you have a run make sure they all have enough room so they don't start pecking newer ones or even older ones. We went through this for a few years trying to break the bad hen but more of the hens did not make it. SLW is the bad girl. They all need room to get away from the others. Ours hid in the coop that was being attacked by the SLW. Sometimes it takes a few years for a hen to start picking on hens that has been together for quite a few years. I even put the SLW in an area for two weeks at a time and then let her join everyone again. Two weeks ended up to be six weeks. She calmed down enough for one or two days and back she went into the old run. She did not change.

We have a Rooster and a Jr Rooster. He looks like his dad. Jr is not a year old yet. He's seven month old now.

Good luck and I really hope the problem can be fixed.

 

[aart]

Do you have a run or is it strictly free range? If there's a run, how long are they in there vs free range time? Photos of run would help, if using a run. Dimensions of run?

Where is the bullying happening, just in the doorway of the coop, or is it going on all day? Dimensions of coop? How much roost space is there?

These^^^

I recently mixed chickens.

How did you add the new birds?

 

[Laura516]

Hi everyone thanks for the insight. So we had their runs butted up against each other so they could see but not touch. Now we opened that gate and they can go between the two runs and coops. They still sleep in two coops as neither coop is big enough for all the chickens. We have 10 chickens total and the runs they can go between are 4 × 8 and 4 x 12. We do give them some free range time but we have too many loose dogs coming through the area that we can't do it all the time. I am hoping to add some more space but haven't had the chance yet. The bullying is happening in the little ones coop. I recently did add another door so that they have another escape route and don't get stuck in a corner there. It seems to have helped a little. I i is it a problem that they are in two coops? Does that make it like a new introduction each day that causes extra drama? The other chickens seem to have mixed just fine and they go happily between all the areas. Should I just close the door and keep them separated until I have a bigger space for them completed? Should I just always keep them separate? Thanks!