Flock intergration

[TooManyEggs]

I have 2 ISA Browns and 1 Crested Cream Legbar hatched on around 3/6/22. They were all raised together, all pullets, all in lay. I then acquired 4 Bielefelders, 3 pullets and 1 cockrel, hatched 5/25/22. Because the Bielefelders are easily the same size as the older three, I thought I could just put them in and they sort it out. However, they are completely terrified of the slightly older three. The cockrel actually has minor leg injuries (bleeding scrapes which I have treated) from this. They self-separate in the coop and run, but at least a few times a day, one of the older pullets gets bored and decides to harass the younger four. I'm sort of confused why the Bielefelders don't fight back. Again, they are huge for their age compared to the ISAs and CCL. Is it just all in their chicken heads or is it that they need to go through complete chicken puberty to be more aggressive? I do keep them mostly separated, but they have all been able to see each other since the Bielefelders were about 4 weeks.

 

[DobieLover]

The size of the bird is nowhere near as significant as the size of the attitude in the bird as well as it's confidence level. If the older girls are getting bored and are then able to pick on the younger ones, then you don't have enough space or things inside that space to keep them occupied.
Can you please post pictures of your setup?
How much space do they have to share?
Once the younger pullets coming to point of lay things will get better. The cockerel will eventually try to woo the older pullets and will hopefully learn lots of good lessons on manners from them.

 

[TooManyEggs]

I have an 8X10 run and a 4x6 coop. I am currently working on a much larger run - 10x18x8, but weather has not been very cooperative and some other project delays. Still hope to be finished with it by Labor Day.

I have one pullet from the Bielefelder group that seems to be dominant, though the cockrel challenges her often. He just is slightly more shy than she is and there is definitely a bottom omega pullet that I have problems just getting her to leave the coop and run at evening free time. The alpha from that group actually walked up to one of my cats and was very curious, then my cat spooked her trying to smell her (justifiable, lol). Point is, she did do it. She's always the first to come to me asking for whatever and is so super friendly.

I have no idea who is dominant in the ISA/CCL group. I've never really seen them argue and they all just seem to get along. Only difference I can tell is that both ISAs will squat for me and I have never had the CCL do that, though she clearly respects my authority.

All the chaos still has not put any of my older pullets out of lay and they still act the same to me. The younger group they actively seem to seek me out to defend them against the older ones or feel much safer if they know I am around which ehhhhhh, double edged sword.

 

[TooManyEggs]

So I have opened up the integrated run. The numbers are sort of complicated, but the run is 18.4 L x 9.2'' W x 8.5' H (162sqf). There is a coop that is 8x6 that fits about 2/3rds into the run. There is a bottom run to the coop that is 8x6 (48sqf) and an upper shelter/nesting area that is 4x6 (24 sqf). So basically the new space is altogether around 170sqf for 6 pullets and 1 cockrel - 24sqf per bird.

I was sort of optimistic that opening up the larger area to the flock would calm things down a bit, however, it has been four days, and all of the older pullets keep bullying the crap out of the younger pullets and cockrel despite the fact that I have doubled the space, essentially. The older ones refuse to let the younger ones eat and drink and peck them incessantly. My cockrel gets it the worse and I have had to bandage his feet blue to get them to stop. I'm not sure what to do besides keeping them indefinitely separate as this is ridiculous.

Sorry, copied the original measurements from the ad in my post above, but I bought from a Chinese resaler on Amazon and they had the measurements off/backwards.

 

[Yardmom]

Do you have multiple feed and water stations with clutter in between to block site lines? If not it might help to add them.

 

[TooManyEggs]

That is also a problem. I have two feeding and watering stations, but if any of the older pullets see them going for either of them, they run them off, regardless if they are hungry or thirsty, because 50% of the time they don't eat or drink after doing this.

 

[Mrs. K]

I think this will solve itself in time, once the younger birds begin laying.

If you had them separated at one time, I think I would pull the older birds and let the younger birds in the main coop/run without the old ones for a couple of days. Let them get some territorial rights.

Then I would add one of the older birds to the younger birds, so now it is 4 younger birds, one older bird. I think there will be some dust ups, but it should not be terrible. Wait several days. Add in the second bird, then eventually the last one.

Also set up some mini walls - cardboard will work fine, or plywood, or a pallet, but set them up so that they block the line of sight to the rest of the run, and place a feed bowl there. Often times, I will make this kitty corner to a corner. Once a chicken steps behind it to eat, others can't see them.

I will admit, they often go from feed bowl to feed bowl at first, because they are positive that the other bowls are better, but that tends to settle quickly and everyone gets to eat.