How long until my 2 hens are best buddies?

[Flock In Texas]

I just got a pair of 4 month old Ameraucanas. My 3 9 month old ladies are picking on the new girls. I’ve been keeping the new girls under the tractor in the 4x8 enclosure during the day while the older girls free range. The new girls have been here for 4 days. Do you think the new girls will run off if I let them roam or will they bond better with the older girls? They act ok in the tractor after dark, but pick on the new kids if I turn the light on. Inside of tractor is 4x8 and 5 ft high.

I’ve been punishing bullies by putting them in solitary at night in the downstairs run. It’s very secure, but not as cozy.

 

[Flock In Texas]

I let them roam for an hour. Every time the new girls got too close to the older girls, they were driven away. I introduced the tennis ball of justice. Any hen that picked on the little ones immediately had a tennis ball thrown at them. Even if I missed, it would break them up. My Pom-chi would retrieve the ball for an instant justice reload.

 

[aart]

I just got a pair of 4 month old Ameraucanas. My 3 9 month old ladies are picking on the new girls. I’ve been keeping the new girls under the tractor in the 4x8 enclosure during the day while the older girls free range. The new girls have been here for 4 days. Do you think the new girls will run off if I let them roam or will they bond better with the older girls? They act ok in the tractor after dark, but pick on the new kids if I turn the light on. Inside of tractor is 4x8 and 5 ft high.

I’ve been punishing bullies by putting them in solitary at night in the downstairs run. It’s very secure, but not as cozy.

I let them roam for an hour. Every time the new girls got too close to the older girls, they were driven away. I introduced the tennis ball of justice. Any hen that picked on the little ones immediately had a tennis ball thrown at them. Even if I missed, it would break them up. My Pom-chi would retrieve the ball for an instant justice reload.

Apologies to @Henrik Petersson for hijacking his thread.

@Flock In Texas ....Sounds like perfectly normal integration behavior, resident birds don't like new birds.
The tennis ball thing is funny, not sure how effective, but funny.
4x8 can be tight for integration, make take awhile for them to work things out inside the coop.

Here's some integration tips that might help.
Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.

This used to be a better search, new format has reduced it's efficacy, but still:
Read up on integration..... BYC advanced search>titles only>integration
This is good place to start reading, BUT some info is outdated IMO:
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock

 

[Henrik Petersson]

Update time!

We're going with my dad's plan, and it seems to be working. To recap, it is basically:

- Let ALL the chickens free range all day long.
- When the New One + the Bullied One can walk among the other chickens without any sign of strife, put them among the other chickens.

Here are some pics from today.

The major chicken flock in the back, ducks in between, and the Two Lonelies in the front. A few weeks ago, the Bullied One did not dare venture this close to them:

Here, the Two Lonelies (left) are even closer to another hen, seemingly at peace:

And here's the New One in the middle, the Bullied One being just outside the picture and the other chickens very relaxed near them:

Bonus pic: The Lonely Ones cuddling in the duck nest. They usually sleep there:

 

[Henrik Petersson]

Hello again! You might wonder how it all worked out.

Well... My dad has opted to follow the ancient Taoist wisdom: Always choose the path of least resistance. So he simply decided that the two outcast hens can keep living in the duck coop indefinitely. We will add some more nest so the ducks have something to sit in.

Furthermore, we will add two Marans hens to the little outcast flock on Saturday. We will effectively have two separate chicken flocks from now on.

 

[aart]

Furthermore, we will add two Marans hens to the little outcast flock on Saturday. We will effectively have two separate chicken flocks from now on.

Well, that should be interesting!

 

[Henrik Petersson]

Well, that should be interesting!

Indeed! My prediction: The brown layer hybrid hen will hassle the newcomers, the mix will not.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I actually recommend multiple flocks and housing options if one has the room for such.
I can tell you it is much more time consuming to tend 7 flocks than one large one but I love the flexibility it offers.

 

[Henrik Petersson]

I actually recommend multiple flocks and housing options if one has the room for such.
I can tell you it is much more time consuming to tend 7 flocks than one large one but I love the flexibility it offers.

Flexibility with what?

Also, do you have any experience with free-ranging 2 separate flocks on the same area? Will they stick to their own, fight, exchange members, or something?

 

[Henrik Petersson]

Update.

The Marans's arrived today. It seems to be going okay.

An weird coincidence: The bovan hen has, as of last night, started sleeping with the larger flock, in the chicken coop. So the mix hen is all alone in the duck coop... Or was, until today.

The mix hen pecks a little at the newcomers sometimes, but she doesn't seem to be any real danger to them. She is, as would be expected, slightly taller and more robust than them, being half Orpington.

A video of when they first laid eyes on each other:

And a photo of them trying to avoid her little attacks later on: