Extreme pecking with integration

[Kentucky girlz]

I have 4 older hens (1 Golden Comet, 1 Australorp and 2 Wyandottes) I have been trying to integrate my 7 newest chicks to the old girls over the past few weeks. The babies are all pullets and they are 10 weeks old as of May 5th and they are: 3 Barred Rock, 2 Ameracuanas, 2 Buff Orpingtons. i let them out to free range during the day, but when they are in the coop and run together, I am still noticing some aggressive pecking from the older ones to the younger ones.

I took out the dividing section of lattice that I had in there because the big girls would squish themselves down until they fit underneath the gap I left at the bottom for the little ones in order to get to the richer feed that the littles have on 'their side'. Should I try to put it back in even though the big ones are flattening themselves out to get under it?

At night, there doesn't seem to be a problem because the littles go into the coop and roost or sit in the nesting boxes together and the big girls roost in the run which they have been doing for the past year unless the temperature is in the teens. But, as soon as the sun comes up, there seems to be chaos with the little ones wanting to go into the run, the big ones being bullies about it OR wanting to get into the coop to lay. I can't let them out until after we've let out the dogs and done a few other chores around the yard, so they are usually in there about an hour after the sun is up and again in the afternoon for a few hours.

Yesterday, I noticed that one of my Buffs had a peck mark on her comb and my white Ameracuana had a pretty nasty peck mark that drew blood on her beak near where her little pea comb is coming in. It almost looked like the beak was cracked in that spot. She seems fine, but I put some antibacterial on it and am watching it.

I clipped the older hens beaks a tiny bit yesterday so that the tip is not super sharp.

I have to leave for the whole day in a couple weeks for my daughters college graduation out of town and as much as I don't want to, I will probably have to leave them in the coop all day. I don't want to come home to maimed baby birds.

Any ideas/suggestions/advice, etc.?

Pictures for attention. The white one in the picture by herself is the one with the nasty peck on her beak. Pic was taken before it happened.

 

[azygous]

The easiest way to ease the bullying of the youngsters is to set up an elevated feeding and watering station. I use an old camp table, or you can use a card table.

Lift the youngsters up to the table top to show them that's where their feed and water is, and they will use it from now on to avoid being chased and pecked away from the main feeder.

By the time the young ones are full grown at five or six months, you can remove the table as the bullying becomes less of a problem. I'm guessing your oldest four are not much more than a year old. Younger chickens find it great sport to torment youngsters. This should ease as they mature.

Permitting the chicks to sleep in the nest box may not be the best idea. You will eventually find it harder to break them of the habit the longer they do it. Blocking off the nest at night is the easiest way to break the habit.

Do you have another perch, or is that the only one? Adequate roost space is crucial to keeping the peace.

 

[Kentucky girlz]

The older ones are 3.

I don't have enough room in the run to set up a card table, but i will see what I can come up with. They are mostly free ranging all day, but the babies go back and forth a lot. there are bushes and things for them to explore and hide in/under but they like to go into the run sometimes for extra food/water/security. They still haven't figured out the nipple waterer either, so they go in for water since they don't really like the extra water stations I have around the yard. the big girls love them and that might be why.. they are scared of them.

We have 2 roosting bars in the coop, you just can't see the other one as it's hidden behind the babies. My husband said he's going to put up an additional one in between the 2 we have in there, but hasn't yet as the babies are still pretty small. We also have 2 roosting bars in the run and are going to add another one when we add the additional one in the coop area.

i do have separate feeders, but the older ones want to eat the crumbles i have for the littles. The younger ones will eat the pellets in the 'big girls' feeder if the big girls are out roaming. The 3 year olds don't eat much pellets anymore anyway, so i didn't think they'd be all that interested in the crumbles, but I guess they taste better? Wonder if I could mix some crumbles in so they feel like they are getting some of the GOOD STUFF too? haha.

I will block off the boxes at night, thanks! I didn't know that.

 

[azygous]

At this stage, both age groups can eat the same thing as long as it's not layer feed. (Too much calcium for the chicks) Yes, mixing them together will encourage them to stop thinking the chick feed is special.

It sounds like your chickens are well down the road toward being fully integrated. Expect a bit of bullying. This is how the older ones establish rank and teach the youngsters manners and how to behave in the flock.

You'll know if bullying has gone too far if you see more than one adult pinning a youngster to the ground and standing on her. Then you will need to intervene.