How do you bear integration????

[nuttyredhead]

It is breaking my heart to see my pretty girls being chased and having their feathers pulled. They have been outside together seperated by a chicken wire fence for over 2 weeks and before that the little girls (silkie and bantam mixes) were in a big cage in the coop. They are quite familiar with each other. SO Why Are They So Nasty?????

I had to lock the rooster and the 2 highest up chicken in the big cage in the coop they were being quite relentless and the rooster keeps trying to mount my little silkie....we really dont want 2 seperate coops, i dont care if they never love each other i just dont want anyone hurt!

Am i doing the right thing? Will they work it out???

Oh -- The little girls are 4-5 months and the original flock is 6 months.

thanks.....

 

[gryeyes]

Establishing the pecking order is far more tough on us people than it is for the chickens. For the chickens, this is natural. If we muck with it, it takes longer. We cannot STOP, nor should we stop the process unless there is actual bloodshed.

Pecking and feather pulling is part of it.

It is really painful for me to observe, too, but I only intervene if there is bloodshed.

You did the best you could - and the correct thing, as far as I'm concerned - by integrating slowly with separate but visible quarters for two weeks. Now you just have to let it happen.

I know. I know. But they have to go through that process. It's the chicken way. Not ours.

 

[rcentner]

I agree, it is hard to watch. But after integrating a lot of chickens to supply my rooster demand and having watched it so many times in the last year....it gets easier. Maybe the more you have the less they notice too? lol
dont interfere unless someone has drawn blood and is injured, someone has to be head hen!

 

[SilverPhoenix]

Quote:
Agreed, and well-said!

 

[darkmatter]

This is how I integrate juveniles into my established flock. After I hatch my own eggs Guineas/Chickens, I move them to the intro-cage into the coop from 4 to 5 weeks after hatching and leave them to get acquainted for at least a couple weeks before opening the cage door to allow interaction. It seems to me after the Adults get used to seeing the juveniles for a while, they don't bother them as much, then the "pecking order" get established gradually as the juveniles continue growing up.

 

[nuttyredhead]

THanks for all your info and support! Question...should i let the nasty hens/rooster with them? Im petrified that the rooster is going to break my little silkies back! He seems quite taken by her!