HELP !!!!! My older pullets are pecking my babies

[david00580]

Hey, This is my first flock of chickens so I have some questions. I had a flock of 11 untill a local dog had attacked 5 one day when they were free range. I was sooooo upset, so I went out and got 3 new straight run chicks from a farm. The other day I tried to let them play in the yard together with me sitting there and my older Pullets went after the new babies. I then seperated them. I wasnt sure if they are just showing who is the domant one. Please help me, will this get better as my babies get older. I feel like i made a mistake getting more chickens. PLEASE HELP !!!!!!!!!!!

 

[cposz]

We found it very helpful to wait until our chicks were about the same size as the big girls before letting them play together.

 

[Garden Gal]

I keep my new little ones near but protected from the larger birds until they are much closer in size. They can see each other all the time but no interaction. When I am ready to introduce them, it is either at night when they are roosting or during the day when I can stay with them for a while to make sure all goes well, and I throw a nice "food party" with tons of goodies that they can all eat and scratch around. I use either a large, old dog kennel or a home-made "mini chicken yard within a chicken yard" to keep them apart. Good luck!

 

[david00580]

Thanks, Is it a problem that I now have 4 bantams and 5 Standard?