integrating new chicks to existing flock of chicks

[hokankai]

Update on my progress:

So it looks like the sizzle and the larger d'uccle are the aggressors. I moved everyone into two 4x4 pens that are side-by-side so they are constantly looking at each other. I put the other d'uccle in with the cochins and she's doing fantastic. Submissive, non-aggressive, and actually doesn't seem to mind that she's been separated from her sister. How do I go about adding the other two without them going into full on attack mode? It's hard because they're a little bit bigger, so they win any scuffles they get in and just keep going back. Should I separate the two and keep them isolated so that they lose some of their confidence? Or is it just a matter of them getting used to being around the cochins?

I'm going to give the water bottle a try as well. My frizzle roo is a brat and needs to be squirted a couple times too!

 

[gmachicken]

Hi everyone,
My intergrating seems to be complete.
I had one BR pullet and one BO pullet who were especially mean. I was able to separate the BR and left her in the mini-coop for about 24 hours. When she got out she immediately pecked one of the chicks. I thought I was had!!. It seems to be a sigular situation.
Now after completely closing up their mini-coop they are behaving more civilly. Tonight one of the chicks about 10 weeks now was amongst the other hens. The 2 BR were on the roost as well.
So 16 hens, chicks, and pullets were on the roost. It will be interesting when the 2 BO and the one Bantam cochin who choose boxes over the roost decide to get on the roost. It is two levels!
Hope all the rest of yours have settled in as nicely.
My advice is to just let them settle it amongst themselves.
Happy 4th of July!

 

[hokankai]

My integration is complete as well!

The last aggressive chick has been with the others and I've seen no signs of aggression. The two flocks were remaining separate during nap time, until I pulled the two roosters I'm not keeping. For some reason one of the d'uccles and the sizzle did NOT like the two boys, and since I saw pre-mating behavior today I took out the boys. This evening everyone is snuggled up with one another!

I used behavior modification to help my aggressive girls get better. A squirt bottle was my best friend, as was my finger when I needed to intervene. If one of them was particularly nasty to another, I would pick up the victim, make it taller than the chick, and peck it with my finger until it willingly submitted to the other chick. It was extremely successful!

 

[chicksntexas]

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[the1honeycomb]

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