HELP! ...Integration issues! ( with blood...)

[Mainechick168]

Last weekend, I added a group of 5 chicks ( 2 6 week olds and 3 8 week olds) to my existing flock of 5 rather large 6 week olds. Things have been ok- a few of my current flock have pecked at the new ones, but the seem to leave them alone when they go away- there is plenty of space in the coop for them to get away....but tonight I noticed blood on the rear of one of the 8 week olds. I am separating her for the night....

so I have a few questions here- do I put anything on the wound of the bleeding girl?
also, how long will it take for these guys to get along??? Many people that I asked said I should be fine in just putting them all together since they were all close in age and the same size group....

also, any other thoughts or suggestions on this issue would be appreciated! thanks!

 

[Mainechick168]

any advice would be greatly appreciated here!

 

[windtryst]

Give them plenty of room and places to hide from each other. Perches to hop up on and get away. I always put them together on a weekend,so I can watch them as much as possible. I also keep a squirt bottle of water & squirt the bullies if they are picking on someone!
If you see one with blood, get her out of there,clean the wound and keep her out till it is healed, or they will peck her to death...
Give them lots of treats so they are busy. Corn on the cob, a head of cabbage, lettuce from the garden...
Good luck,they will settle down in a few days

 

[Mainechick168]

thanks for the info- the coop is 5x10, with many perches! It has been almost a week since they have been together- corn on the cob was a huge hit, maybe I'll have to up the treats! I took her out as soon as I noticed the blood. THe thing that is such a surprise is that there was NONE of this behavior before I added the new guys, and the picking is coming from my two most mellow, sweet girls!

 

[Rowsdower]

I closed the divider door on my run during the day to separate the two groups while they were getting acquainted and let them all roost in the coop together at night. I realize not everyone has such a setup, but us chicken folk are resourceful. I am sure you can devise some way to keep them separated but within eye shot. Like you, I thought my guys were going to kill each other at first. Within a few days I was able to put them together without any real incident aside from the occasional skirmish. The new birds are definitely STILL at the bottom of the pecking order, but no one is getting hurt anymore.

 

[Mainechick168]

rowsdower, thanks for more advice! If things don't start becoming a little more civil today, I may have to work out some sort of divider...It's funny though, it's the two buff orpingtons who are getting picked on the most, where the 2 barred rocks are barely bothered at all....

 

[Rowsdower]

It is strange how it works out. One of my newbies is/was larger than my preexisting birds and he still allowed the two little bantams to bully him pretty badly. At one point they were actually hanging from his comb! I call him my little "chicken".

 

[Red Barn Farms]

I'm having some of the same problems with mine too. I just added 3 Plymouth Barred Rocks to the existing flock. I also sold four from the flock the same time I added the three. I thought that might make an impact in reestablishing the pecking order. It didn't. The most gentle pullets (2 of them) of my flock run to peck at these new three girls if they see them on the ground every time. I have a large setup so they can go anywhere they want within a 600 foot area.

You could put a topical medicine on your chicken and keep her away from the flock until she heals. One suggestion when reestablishing back to the flock is putting her in a cage by herself and maybe another she's friends with and placing it inside their coop where the flock can see her but not touch. Leave her this way awhile until they seem ok with her being there.

Here is a great chart for medicines:

https://sites.google.com/a/poultrypedia.com/poultrypedia/medicine-chart

 

[teach1rusl]

I think the "gentler" birds of the originals often display the pecking/aggressiveness because they're at the bottom of the established pecking order, so they are defending their spot. Higher up birds don't really have to defend thier places - it's secure.

Buff orpingtons are generally lower in the pecking order, so I'm not surprised at all that an orpington would be pecked on far before a barred rock, which is more outgoing and assertive.

MaineC - you heard right. It should have been fairly easy to integrate the two ages you mentioned. And you know, it's possible that it may not have even been an aggressiveness issue. A bit of poo or an odd feather will sometimes get chicks' attention, and will be pecked/pulled at. If a feather got pulled and blood resulted, that would attract others, as red and blood tends to do in the chicken world. I would definitely coat down that chicks backside with Bluekote and not put her back in with others until you're able to monitor for a while so that you make sure the bluekote is doing the job and make sure that others aren't ganging up on her. She may be just fine being put back in, assuming there's not actually an open wound of some kind.

 

[Mainechick168]

Teach1- thanks for the great insight. We put her back in tonight- I coated her rear with bag balm and some baking soda paste- she does not have an open wound, so I am hoping this will deter the others until I can pick up some bluekote tomorrow. We stayed in the coop at watched for a long time, and no one bothered her...I wonder if it is even possible that she did this to herself, or made it worse? she was missing tail feathers when we got her, so who knows. I am a little reassured, the more I watch, the two white rocks are not seeking anyone out or chasing anyone, just pecking them when they come near. We have one EE that has not pecked at anyone once....is it possible that she is at the top of the order?! haha she is such a wingnut, I couldn't believe it, but I suppose anything is possible!!