i think im getting pretty obsessed with chickens, i want to buy more chicks, but my girls are bullie

[undine]

I ordered 10 chicks from my pet chicken, one passed, and one came out a roo. A month later after ordering them, i decided i wanted a silkie so i bought 2 more chicks (one buff silkie and another ee) The silkie was supposed to be a girl, but turned out to be a rooster so my chances of keeping him are so slim! Anyways, another month after i bought the two chicks, i slowly tried putting them together, keeping the chicks in a confined corner, an opening acccess so they can run in and out if theyre being chased and pecked by the older girls. My 8 pullets are mean, they dont want to deal with the my younger chicks, and its been a month since ive put them together...How can i buy more chickens if my girls now are so ruthless?

8 of the pullets are 17 weeks and the younger ones are about 9-10 weeks.. so theyre a little more than a month apart

 

[Judy]

Often you have to keep them separate in this situaition until the younger ones are the same size as the older ones. Here's a good thread.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/803815/integrating-two-groups/0_20

 

[Ridgerunner]

Question – How much room do they have? The more room they have the easier this can go. If space is fairly tight it can be really bad regardless of age, even if they are all adults.

 

[Judy]

Ridgerunner's is a good point; space is a critical factor. One good approach to an integration is to give them not only lots of room but some hiding places, and places they can fly up to, when first mixing two groups.

 

[undine]

Yeaahh, i always thought the more space the better. I didnt think the place i let them out on was tooooo small though =( but i guess as the number of chickens add up, the space gets smaller and smaller rofl thanks!

 

[realsis]

I've heard a couple people question if their birds are roos that they bought from my pet chicken. Frankly they looked like roos to me too. Question were the birds supposed to be all female that you purchased from them? I have a friend that just bought some silkies from them supposed female but they sure look male to me at least a couple of them. So is it possible they made a sexing mistake?? Did that happen to you??

 

[undine]

 

[undine]

I've heard a couple people question if their birds are roos that they bought from my pet chicken. Frankly they looked like roos to me too. Question were the birds supposed to be all female that you purchased from them? I have a friend that just bought some silkies from them supposed female but they sure look male to me at least a couple of them. So is it possible they made a sexing mistake?? Did that happen to you??

I have no idea how sexing works LOL but yeah it did happen to me. While one chick came really weak and couldnt stand up, one of my easter eggers that were suppose to be sexed as a female turned out to be a roo. I noticed his comb was larger than the others, and more bright orange as well.. Didnt surprise me when he started crowing at 8 weeks.

 

[realsis]

Wow thanks ill let her know it does happen.