Integrating chicks with chickens.

[Clairemarie1982]

Keep in mind that some birds will always take more offence to new flock mates. Some people cull these birds because they make introducing new birds much more difficult.

My cream legbar fits into this category. It took several months of living side by side and having supervised time together before I felt comfortable leaving my four chicks with her last year. Even still she pecked the poor barred rock until her head was bleeding (she has a cool scar now...) so again the chicks got put in their dog crate inside the run.
When I reintroduced them, I put the chicks with the flock and put the legbar in the dog crate.
A few days of detention seemed to work. However, she still doesn’t like the Easter Egger for some reason.

Wow this is all so interesting. Thanks for sharing, I will keep that in mind! I think what is shocking to me most is that the one who is picking on the chicks is the one I would least expect it. As I mentioned it’s my cream legbar too. She is so so sweet and the family’s favorite. She acts like a dog, runs up to us and will wait for us to pick her up or for us to sit down to jump in our lap so we will pet her and she will often fall asleep. She’s my 5 year old son’s chicken and they are best friends- follow each other everywhere. We would never ever be able to cull her. I’d have to build another coop and run before that - ha. Would you say being she is the only one who is doing this, that in her own flock of 9 she is at the top of the pecking order?

 

[RumneyRoost]

Wow this is all so interesting. Thanks for sharing, I will keep that in mind! I think what is shocking to me most is that the one who is picking on the chicks is the one I would least expect it. As I mentioned it’s my cream legbar too. She is so so sweet and the family’s favorite. She acts like a dog, runs up to us and will wait for us to pick her up or for us to sit down to jump in our lap so we will pet her and she will often fall asleep. She’s my 5 year old son’s chicken and they are best friends- follow each other everywhere. We would never ever be able to cull her. I’d have to build another coop and run before that - ha. Would you say being she is the only one who is doing this, that in her own flock of 9 she is at the top of the pecking order?

It's possible, but not necessarily. Sometimes the least dominant ones are the meanest to new birds. They're most at risk of losing their spot in the pecking order.

I would just keep trying to slowly integrate. Give your chicks lots of hiding places, lots of objects to break up the line of sight, lots of food and water sources, etc. I put a small table in my run, the chicks would hang out up there and the big girls would forget about them. Then when the big girls went to nap or lay an egg the babies would come down to eat and drink.

As long as the big girls aren't drawing blood or chasing them 24/7 than they should be ok. It's certainly stressful watching the little ones get pecked but they should eventually sort it out.

 

[Clairemarie1982]

It's possible, but not necessarily. Sometimes the least dominant ones are the meanest to new birds. They're most at risk of losing their spot in the pecking order.

I would just keep trying to slowly integrate. Give your chicks lots of hiding places, lots of objects to break up the line of sight, lots of food and water sources, etc. I put a small table in my run, the chicks would hang out up there and the big girls would forget about them. Then when the big girls went to nap or lay an egg the babies would come down to eat and drink.

As long as the big girls aren't drawing blood or chasing them 24/7 than they should be ok. It's certainly stressful watching the little ones get pecked but they should eventually sort it out.

Ahh thank you. Makes perfect sense. Thank you for all your helpful ideas and putting my mind at ease!

 

[aart]

Sometimes the least dominant ones are the meanest to new birds.
They're most at risk of losing their spot in the pecking order.

For sure!
I also think low birds just like to finally have someone lower to beat on.

 

[avasfarmhouse]

Do they chase and peck them all the time, or on and off? Are any chicks being injured?

If it's not a continuous harassment and no one is being hurt, I'd leave it alone, it's normal for some of the older birds to really want to keep the chicks "in their place."

Thank You!