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calvertchickens

calvertchickens

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We are new to this backyard chicken game, in October my 17 year old son came home with two babies. I asked what would possess him to get chickens and his response was "I read an article on the internet that raising chickens is best way to learn responsibility" I told him that his Dad and I had already learned all the responsibility that we needed! We got tips on internet etc and a week later our son fractured his back, so the joke was on me because my husband and I had to raise them!! Anyway we jumped right in and things were fine until Black Friday rolled around and unbeknownst to me my husband went to our local farm goods store and bought SIX more chicks….Fast forward four months and another son rescued two young chicks that were purchased at the State Fair by a friend of his! Yikes so we started over with the baby thing, they were about two months old. We have tried to introduce them to our other girls and the smallest is being attacked by older girls. It is heartbreaking. We have a separate area in the run for them but yesterday an old girl got in and really battered the poor thing, she had tail feathers ripped out etc. We need help! how do we protect her and prevent this in the future???

Thank you
 
Im guessing here but under three months. They were purchased at The Fair early January.
 
The babies are a Buff Orpington and Rhode Island Red our old girls are One Delaware, three Plymouth Rocks and three Wyandottes
The Delaware and One of the Plymouths are the original girls we got them in Early October and the others the end of November. So they are all young in fact we have just starting getting eggs from one of the old girls.. ;-)
 
Hello :frow and Welcome To BYC!
Unless you have very young chicks, when combining different age birds, it is best to wait until they are about the same size (the younger ones grow up), and then have a long period of the two flocks being able to see each other but no touching, through wire seem to work best, ie dividing the coop into two or more sections or keeping the new/younger ones in a cage inside the coup for a couple of weeks to a month at least. The chickens will get to know each other and sort of work out a pecking order before actually coming in contact with each other. After a week or two, letting them free range together is a good idea and should help... It will take a couple of weeks to get the pecking order sorted out. There is a nice article in the Learning Center on integrating flocks you might like to check out, the part about actually combining them is after the quarantine section https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock
 
The young birds are obviously outnumbered by the old ones. Do all the older birds attack them? If not just put the worst offenders in solitaire to cool their heels for a few days.

During their absence your new ones may be able to fit in with the old and make a chicken friend or two. That will help them blend into the flock.
 
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I'm glad you joined our community!
 
We have two that were rescued together so they are happy with each other, the smallest is a Rhode Island Red and she is tiny compared to her friend the Orpington, anyway its the RIR that is constantly picked on, she is missing tail feathers yikes..they are find at night in coop. We have seperated them in run area. I will definitely remove the offenders and place in solitary! Thanks for the help.. Will let you know how it works out..
 

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