Hello chicken peeps! So here is the situation:
I have a mixed flock of 3 month old pullets (9 girls), one cockerel (I hope), and a Guinea fowl (a male from what I can tell) who have been living in the coop/run for several weeks now. My older girl (Alice, a 6 year old Barred Rock) was in an area I had fenced off inside the run (so in full view of the new flock). After a few weeks or so, I would let her out with the Littles (under supervision). She would peck at them, but nothing severe, and they all soon learned she was the boss (they now generally flee if she comes near them and I haven't seen her bully anyone and have seen no evidence of it taking place while I'm gone from the house for the day).
I also have an Easter Egger (Holly) I took on from a friend (she showed up in their yard and they never found the owner). I'm not sure how old she is, but she lays an egg every day or every other day, and is generally a nice bird. Holly is in the area Alice used to be in (because Alice has behaved well enough she's allowed to be in the large coop/run full-time).
I tried integrating Alice and Holly before the younger chickens went outside, but it ended up in a fighting match (no blood, but full on pecking, kicking, and flapping wings at one another), so Holly went back into the side pens.
Today, I tried to let Holly out (under supervision) and it went well until Alice walked up and pecked her. Holly went into the submissive rooster squat, and I figured things would have been fine but Alice didn't back off and the two got into a fight. Holly then proceeded to attack the other young chickens and even got into it with my Guinea fowl. She is now back in her compartment.
SO, my question is this: do they just need more time in separate pens (Holly came home with me in July), or should I let Alice and Holly duke it out? I've thought of maybe holding Holly in my lap and let everyone come check her out, and just keep doing that (or try to let her have coop/run time under supervision more often until the aggression dissipates).
I should also state that my cockerel (a Buff Orpington named Gerard) is terrified of Alice at the moment. As he matures, will his presence help ease the situation?
Anyhoo, if anyone has experience with this sort of situation, please let me know. I really would like to have Holly living with the entire flock (I have a few bantam hens and a little roo I want to eventually put in the side compartment space and might need the other attached coop/run to keep my Polish girls in case I feel Gerard the Buff Orpington will them due to his size).
THANK YOU!!!
P.S. My dad and I are expanding the run space. It's currently about 110 sq. ft. and we're adding on a 12' x 16' area (half of which I want to section off for the Guinea fowl if/when he gets really aggressive during breeding season), so the coop/run will be gaining another 96 sq. ft.
I have a mixed flock of 3 month old pullets (9 girls), one cockerel (I hope), and a Guinea fowl (a male from what I can tell) who have been living in the coop/run for several weeks now. My older girl (Alice, a 6 year old Barred Rock) was in an area I had fenced off inside the run (so in full view of the new flock). After a few weeks or so, I would let her out with the Littles (under supervision). She would peck at them, but nothing severe, and they all soon learned she was the boss (they now generally flee if she comes near them and I haven't seen her bully anyone and have seen no evidence of it taking place while I'm gone from the house for the day).
I also have an Easter Egger (Holly) I took on from a friend (she showed up in their yard and they never found the owner). I'm not sure how old she is, but she lays an egg every day or every other day, and is generally a nice bird. Holly is in the area Alice used to be in (because Alice has behaved well enough she's allowed to be in the large coop/run full-time).
I tried integrating Alice and Holly before the younger chickens went outside, but it ended up in a fighting match (no blood, but full on pecking, kicking, and flapping wings at one another), so Holly went back into the side pens.
Today, I tried to let Holly out (under supervision) and it went well until Alice walked up and pecked her. Holly went into the submissive rooster squat, and I figured things would have been fine but Alice didn't back off and the two got into a fight. Holly then proceeded to attack the other young chickens and even got into it with my Guinea fowl. She is now back in her compartment.
SO, my question is this: do they just need more time in separate pens (Holly came home with me in July), or should I let Alice and Holly duke it out? I've thought of maybe holding Holly in my lap and let everyone come check her out, and just keep doing that (or try to let her have coop/run time under supervision more often until the aggression dissipates).
I should also state that my cockerel (a Buff Orpington named Gerard) is terrified of Alice at the moment. As he matures, will his presence help ease the situation?
Anyhoo, if anyone has experience with this sort of situation, please let me know. I really would like to have Holly living with the entire flock (I have a few bantam hens and a little roo I want to eventually put in the side compartment space and might need the other attached coop/run to keep my Polish girls in case I feel Gerard the Buff Orpington will them due to his size).
THANK YOU!!!
P.S. My dad and I are expanding the run space. It's currently about 110 sq. ft. and we're adding on a 12' x 16' area (half of which I want to section off for the Guinea fowl if/when he gets really aggressive during breeding season), so the coop/run will be gaining another 96 sq. ft.
.
). I’m also hoping to incorporate a chicken jungle gym at some point in time (they currently have the skeleton of an old dwarf lemon tree to hang out on, but it doesn’t hold everyone).
