How can I get my hens to accept the others??

[juliemom25]

I have 6, 10 week old bantams (with 2 roos), and 2 EE roos that are 8 weeks. They have been out in the coop for 3 weeks now. They have an area that is right next to the hens. Literally there's only chicken wire separating the two groups on one end. I was hoping they'd all get use to one another. I tried a week ago to put the younger ones in with the older ones and the pecking seemed out of control. The younger ones just ran, which made the hens (we have 20 of them) peck more. Oh yeah, our hens are 16 weeks old.

1. How much pecking is ok?

2. I have heard that it is best to put them together at night, but I seriously worry the little ones would get pecked to death and I wouldn't be able to help. Do you recommend that method?

We want our two EE roos (the 8 week olds) to be our main roos for our 20 hens so I want them to get use to one another asap.

Any advice would be great!

Julie

 

[Hollywood Chickens]

from what I have read at night they are to sleepy to fight and then in the morning when you feed them they eat together and then don't remember that the others were not there before I hope this will work for me I am integrating 12 8 week old chicks with 5 hens in a week

 

[elmo]

I have next to zero experience with this, but here goes anyway. I integated a two week old chick with newly hatched ones at night, and it worked like a charm. By morning, they all woke up best friends.

How big an enclosure do you have for your chickens? Do they have enough room to retreat and escape from attack? That's what my friend, my poultry enabler, taught me. If your pen is big enough for this, the chickens will work out their social structure themselves.

Watch out for one chicken getting picked on particularly, or more than the others, though.

 

[Crazy4cochins]

hello, I have recently done what your trying to do.
The most impotrant thing is have enough roosts!!! I didn't and it causes alot of fighting.
I had a mix of ages including 1 momma bird and her baby to deal with.
Someone on here told me to make a lower area for the babies( Creep feeder or retreat area for the ones that get picked on the most)
So I used a plastic tub ( the bigger-longer ones ) and I flipped it over cut a square hole in it and it allows the smaller ones to feed , water in and run and hide from the bigger ones. I even drilled two holes and put a small roost in it.
I also had made a pen to keep them in when the mom had her babies, but I know this is not always an option.
I started to let them out together in the yard. My newest ones usually stayed with each other in their own groups.
Mine are not soo easily swayed even at night. I tried to give momma back her 2 other babies (one was mualed by the adults) so I know how vicious it can get. She kept biting me. LOL.
I still have to go in and put my two youngest ones on a roost
so they don't try to sleep outside. I think also you putting them lower is a great way to not upset the older ones.
I have age rangees from 18 mos down to 4 mos and about 46 chickens.
Hope this helps, Good Luck, be paitent I know it can be soo stressful.

 

[Buff Hooligans]

Here is a link to the Learning Center page on integrating two flocks. Good luck.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-adding-to-your-flock

 

[Ridgerunner]

This site gives a lot of good information about integrating flocks. I highly recommend it.

Buff Hooligan’s Adding to your flock
https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-adding-to-your-flock

Many people recommend adding new chickens to the flock at night. It may help. I honestly don't know.

Chickens are social animals. They function in a group like wolves in a pack and cattle in a herd. They are able to function together because each knows their place in the flock, pack, or herd. With chickens, this is called the pecking order. This determines who eats first, who roosts where, who has first rights to certain territory, all the social interactions that enable them to function peacefully together. Establishing this pecking order can become quite violent as some chickens just do not want to accept a lower social position. Sometimes it is not very bad. A lot depends on the personalities of the individual chickens involved. Buff's site gives you tricks you can use to help make this transition easier and less violent, but a pecking order will be established. Maybe having them wake up together is one of the tricks to ease the establishment of the pecking order or maybe it allows the pecking order to get sorted out before humans are around to interfere. I honestly don't know.

Chickens are also bullies and will attack and kill a weakling. Maybe it is nature's way for chickens to improve the flock by eliminating bad genetics or diseased birds. Until they reach maturity, younger birds are weaker than mature birds, if not in body then in spirit. People integrate younger birds with an established flock all the time, so it can be done, but there are risks. Again, I suggest Buff's site.

How much pecking is too much? Good question. The normal answer is when blood is drawn is when you need to intervene. If a chicken is injured, the others will probably attack and kill it. Chickens are also cannibals and if thye see one bleeding, they will most likely feast. If one is injured you need to separate it until it heals. I think you will have to use your judgment and if injury appears likely, you'll need to separate them.

As I said, people do it all the time so it can be done, but there are risks involved.

 

[juliemom25]

THanks so much guys for your advice and your links. I am off to check the links out and learn more!

Julie