How to introduce pullets?

[howdyitsmia]

I have 4 14 week old BOs and 8 8-9 week old brahmas/lavender orpingtons.

The babies have a run inside of the big run, but I’ve been letting them into the big run and keeping the older girls out in the yard all day.

I decided to let them free range together in the evening for a couple of hours, with supervision, and it’s awful! I thought it would go well since the brahmas are so huge but the queens are still super mean to them and the smaller ones.

Should I just keep letting them free range and hope it gets better? I’m real tired of chasing off the BOs.

One of the babies is also a rooster, should I wait until he’s big to introduce them face to face? Cause I’m not sure they’ll all fit in the tiny coop much longer.

I can provide pictures if needed.

(Also, I made a thread about this under raising baby chicks but nobody replied so this might look familiar)

Thank you!

 

[Ihavesomechickens]

I would continue letting them free range together, and only intervene if blood is drawn or other serious injuries happen. I would keep the cockerel with the rest of them, as once he is getting ready to mate the females he will have mature girls to pick from, and not bother the younger pullets.

 

[howdyitsmia]

I would continue letting them free range together, and only intervene if blood is drawn or other serious injuries happen. I would keep the cockerel with the rest of them, as once he is getting ready to mate the females he will have mature girl to pick from, and not bother the younger pullets.

Thanks! I’ll keep trying this then.

 

[aart]

Pics of your coop/run setup and the range area might help here.

How long have the youngers been living out in the run?

Maybe you've done all this already, but.....
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.
Good ideas for hiding places:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

 

[Cheeki]

I have 4 14 week old BOs and 8 8-9 week old brahmas/lavender orpingtons.

The babies have a run inside of the big run, but I’ve been letting them into the big run and keeping the older girls out in the yard all day.

I decided to let them free range together in the evening for a couple of hours, with supervision, and it’s awful! I thought it would go well since the brahmas are so huge but the queens are still super mean to them and the smaller ones.

Should I just keep letting them free range and hope it gets better? I’m real tired of chasing off the BOs.

One of the babies is also a rooster, should I wait until he’s big to introduce them face to face? Cause I’m not sure they’ll all fit in the tiny coop much longer.

I can provide pictures if needed.

(Also, I made a thread about this under raising baby chicks but nobody replied so this might look familiar)

Thank you!

In the chicken world, size doesn’t matter. Chicken yard politics calls for a specific order. During warm months the chicks are brooded in the coop in plain view of the flock from day one. The cage allows the flock to peck at food the chicks scratch out of the cage and encourages social activity. By the time the chicks are ready to go out into the yard, the flock is already familiar with them and the pecking order process begins. I have a Tom turkey that’s like a peace keeper. He doesn’t let the pecking order process get out of hand and won’t let young roosters abuse young pullets. My two top roosters keep them from over breeding the older hens.
If you just sit back and watch how the poultry community works, it’s fascinating.

 

[Mrs. K]

Get a squirt gun, one of those high powered ones. Add hideouts, what does your run, and your yard look like. Unless one is trapped, it is best to let them work it out.

You might try locking up part of the older group. That would let the younger group seriously out number the older groups, and while they will peck and chase, that gets tiring, and spreads the pecking out over all of the younger chicks, and kind of wears out the meanies.

Sometimes you will have one or a couple of incredible mean birds, put them where you have the chicks now. Leave them there, until the rest of the flock gets settled.

Mrs K

 

[howdyitsmia]

Get a squirt gun, one of those high powered ones. Add hideouts, what does your run, and your yard look like. Unless one is trapped, it is best to let them work it out.

You might try locking up part of the older group. That would let the younger group seriously out number the older groups, and while they will peck and chase, that gets tiring, and spreads the pecking out over all of the younger chicks, and kind of wears out the meanies.

Sometimes you will have one or a couple of incredible mean birds, put them where you have the chicks now. Leave them there, until the rest of the flock gets settled.

Mrs K

In the chicken world, size doesn’t matter. Chicken yard politics calls for a specific order. During warm months the chicks are brooded in the coop in plain view of the flock from day one. The cage allows the flock to peck at food the chicks scratch out of the cage and encourages social activity. By the time the chicks are ready to go out into the yard, the flock is already familiar with them and the pecking order process begins. I have a Tom turkey that’s like a peace keeper. He doesn’t let the pecking order process get out of hand and won’t let young roosters abuse young pullets. My two top roosters keep them from over breeding the older hens.
If you just sit back and watch how the poultry community works, it’s fascinating.

That’s great information. I’m hoping that as our baby rooster gets his teenager hormones it’ll help put the big ones in their place and prevent bullying.

 

[howdyitsmia]

Pics of your coop/run setup and the range area might help here.

How long have the youngers been living out in the run?

Maybe you've done all this already, but.....
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.
Good ideas for hiding places:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

Thanks so much! I’ll definitely take a look at some of those hiding places.

 

[Mrs. K]

Your juvenile rooster will not be a flock master until over the age of 1 year. All of your hens will be laying long before then, and will be one flock. Once they start laying, they tend to become a single flock. Yours are close enough in age, I think they will be flock like not too much longer from now.

 

[howdyitsmia]

Your juvenile rooster will not be a flock master until over the age of 1 year. All of your hens will be laying long before then, and will be one flock. Once they start laying, they tend to become a single flock. Yours are close enough in age, I think they will be flock like not too much longer from now.

Thanks! Also, sorry it took me so long, but here’s some pictures of the run and yard. (Excuse the mess)