Integrating hens into coop

[Foxinthehenhouse]

I have been trying to add four almost five month old hens to my group. I put a large fenced area in coup for several weeks, let them loose and hens pecked them till they were bloody. Of course I took them out! Been trying ever since but same thing happens. Don’t know what to do!

 

[DobieLover]

I have been trying to add four almost five month old hens to my group. I put a large fenced area in coup for several weeks, let them loose and hens pecked them till they were bloody. Of course I took them out! Been trying ever since but same thing happens. Don’t know what to do!

How many older hens do you have?
How many pullets?
And most importantly, how much space are you working with and what is in it?

 

[Foxinthehenhouse]

I have five hens one has three chicks with her. Adding four pullets that almost five months. Have a large fenced area.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Photos of set up would help. So would exact measurements... "large" to me is several hundred sq ft. Do you have any clutter in the run? How many feeders, and where are they located?

The hen with chicks could be an issue, her instinct is to protect those babies. Newcomers could definitely be seen as a threat.

 

[Foxinthehenhouse]

I’ll take some pics tomorrow. The hen with the chicks doesn’t seem bothered in fact she was in the coop on eggs when I tried to introduce them. It’s the FCMs that are ruthless.

 

[aart]

@Foxinthehenhouse any updates?

 

[Foxinthehenhouse]

It’s been cold and rainy, hard to get any decent shots.
The four pullets are back in the garage.
I’m building a new chicken coop and runs, I thought I might wait and let the pullets in the new coop and then add the hens a week or so later. Maybe in a new place they won’t be so aggressive. They will be entering the pullets territory. What do you all think?

 

[rosemarythyme]

I’m building a new chicken coop and runs, I thought I might wait and let the pullets in the new coop and then add the hens a week or so later. Maybe in a new place they won’t be so aggressive. They will be entering the pullets territory. What do you all think?

Could possibly work. Putting birds in a new environment or making big changes can jostle up the pecking order or serve as a general distraction so they're more focused on the new area rather than new chickens.