I need help!

[Jamiestrow]

Hi everyone
I have 6 assorted bantams that are now out in there coop permanently. Two i know for sure are roosters. I also have 2 week old standard size hens that I need to get out in the coop as well. They are pretty much fully feathered. I put them out with the bantams for the afternoon and they got picked on a lot by one of the roosters. The rooster that picks on them isolates them at the far end of the run and won't let them any closer. What do I do to get them incorporated into the flock?? Do I take to roosters out of the flock for a while??

 

[distincthead]

There are folks on here with a LOT more experience than me, but I would put the standard hens in a cage of some sort, like a dog crate, right in the coop so they can get used to each other first for a number of days. Better yet, if you can divide your coop into appropriate sized parts with a partition of some sort, like hardware cloth. I wouldn't use chicken wire because they might get tangled in it and hurt themselves if a scuffle comes about.

Of course you'll need two of everything e.g. two waterers, two feeders, etc. After a week, say, let them mingle and see what happens. You might just end up with an aggressive roo but depending on the standard hens size, perhaps they will be able to hold their own against him when they are larger How old are the standard pullets, maybe they need to feather out fully and gain more size?

 

[bobbi-j]

I would just let them work it out as long as there are no major injuries happening. What they're doing is establishing their pecking order. If you take the roosters out, they'll start it all over again when you put them back in. I would make sure, though, that you have another feeder and waterer set up so the new ones get a chance to eat and drink.

 

[Jamiestrow]

Ok. Thank you both for the great advice! Its just so hard to watch that rooster pick on them. The 2 youngsters that are being picked on are a little over 2 weeks old and are just a tad smaller than the other chickens. Its just that one rooster that is being aggressive. The other rooster I have is a splash cochin and he just chest bumps them aside. No pecking or attacks.

 

[bobbi-j]

Is he attacking them? Pecking, flogging, or spurring? Is he drawing blood? If not, they'll soon learn to stay out of his way, and hopefully he'll settle down. If he is causing injury, though, maybe he should be separated.