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Solvaymae

In the Brooder
Nov 5, 2023
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Hi everyone
I am in my first year of raising chickens and need some help. I started off in March with with 13 day olds from TSC, ended up processing 2 of the three roosters so they’re in my freezer. The 9 hens and one rooster left have been great. Silly me wanted to add some different color egg layers so I ordered 6 chicks from Murray Mcmurray hatchery in July. Once they were feathered and ready to be outside, I put them in a small starter coop right up against my large coop and run. They all knew each other safely through the hardware cloth for a few months. They free ranged together and usually stayed separate from each other. Last night I moved the six 4 month olds into the big coop with the 9 hens and rooster. They were alive and well this morning. However when the younger ones went out of the coop into the run, the older ones ganged up on my blonde splash ameracauna-pecking her and ripping her neck feathers out. She is the only one of this color. Is this why they gang up only on her? What can I do for her? There was no blood drawn but I intervened and picked her up. Thank you in advance for any advice you can give. So happy to have found this site!!
(Pictures of my babies in the starter coop and my older ones in their run)
 

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Sometimes there is no rhyme or reason why chickens pick on a particular one. Usually, it's the smaller one. If it was just one bully, it's usually easiest to take that one out for a few days, but sounds like they all did. Maybe another week or two of separation would help. I hope she's okay. You could also post this in the thread about chicken behaviors for more ideas, here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/chicken-behaviors-and-egglaying.18/

Welcome to BYC!! :frow
 
Hello and welcome to BYC! :frow

So glad you decided to join us. Did you separate the youngsters a bit to allow the original flock to see but not touch them? A couple weeks separation helps with aggression. You might want to separate out any bullies for a while and give the youngsters a chance to adapt to their environment first before mixing them all together. Put out more food and water stations so they don't need to compete. Make hidy places so the youngsters have places to escape to.
 

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