:/Just the other day I bought 3 bantam hens, and when I brought them home they were all ok. I asked the people that i bought them from if they would be ok with my 4-5week old youngsters, and they all said yea they should be fine. So like a newbie, i didnt think much of it so i just let them out and watched, but within 30 minutes the biggest hen started going after all the youngsters, and another hen. I was told by my neighbor that also raises chickens that its just the pecking order, and that he saud that i can other wise just put her in with his flock to disapline her out a bit. So what im also wondering will she kill my chicks? What should i do they all have pleanty of food and water to go around, so please i really need some advice!!! Thanks.
I would defintly keep them apart if I were you, until the chicks were a little bit bigger, not saying she would kill one of them but it could happen, the hen is just trying to show who is head boss there, it is perfectly normal
I would quarantine any new birds for at least a month before I put them together. I would keep them near each other where they can see each other but not touch each other. When I do put them together for the first time it is in a common area such as the yard. At first I give them turns in the yard. When I do let them all into the yard together I spread out plenty of scratch grain treats. Hopefully they will fixate more on the treats than each other. They will still bicker as they are establishing their pecking order and some integrations do go more smoothly than other. Not to be taken for granted.
