Hens pecking chicks

[TheWickedChicken]

I have 5 SLW hens and 3 GLW chicks about 5 weeks old. Chicks have been housed in sight and sound of the hens but physically separated so the hens don’t hurt them. I’m starting to introduced the hens to the chicks and the two lowest ranking hens peck the chicks each time I try to introduced them. The higher ranking hens don’t seem bothered one way or another by the chicks.

I am going to keep them separated until the chicks are closer in size to the hens. But anyone have advice on curbing this behavior now? Or is it something they’re going to have to figure out on their own once the chicks are grown and fully integrated into the flock?

 

[Saaniya]

Separate them immediately..

 

[CiscoChickens]

If the chicks have plenty of space to escape/run from the big girls, then I'd leave them be. In the young stage the chicks are in, the older hens won't feel like their spot in the pecking order is in danger. It's a lot harder to integrate them when they're older—fights will occur more readily.

They will get picked on, for sure, but the curiosity will die down eventually, and the chicks will know they're at the bottom. My silkie hen was the lowest you could be on the pecking order when I intergrated her, but now she has even my biggest hens cowering. Hope all goes well!

 

[aart]

I prefer to integrate chicks younger...much easier IMO, but you need to set things up for success. Chicks need a 'safe place'...I use tiny doors but other things can suffice.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

 

[TheWickedChicken]

My hens are free ranging and I’m not going to confine them to the run where the chicks are kept. That seems like a recipe for aggression. The chicks aren’t big enough to free range the yard with the hens yet. As I said, the chicks have been in sight and sound of the hens since day 1, so it’s not like they are strangers to the hens. I just haven’t allowed the two groups to be inside the run together.

Seems like there’s no “fixing” the pecking behavior now. I’m just gonna have to wait until they’re older when they’re big enough to free range and hope the chicks are smart enough to stay out of the hens way.