Integration gone awry!

[Bridget399]

I have read alot of successful integration stories on here, but they usually involve integrating younger chickens with older ones.

I have 6 red stars, and 2 RIRs, all 5 month old hens. I just butchered my 4 roosters (RIR) yesterday and a few hours later picked up my 1 year old silkie roo. (Possible mistake?

)

I put him on the roost at night and that went very well. This morning, 3 or 4 of the red stars ganged up on him, and picked at him while he was cowering in the corner. I scooped him up before they did any real damage.

I put him in a dog crate inside the coop with his own food and water. They can see eachother... but he's protected.

What's my next step?!

Bridget

 

[sonew123]

give it a little more time-in that crate-I always put new birds in teh cages for a few weeks then try and let them out-if it goes really bad-back in the crate-this am I released a silkie into my big flock and yes, she got picked on. But I threw their food outside with some treats and everyone ignored her. Tats what I always do-I introduce frist thing in am when their minds are set on food not beating up on others. SO far it has always worked out-I have the corniest bunch of missfits roaming around from 2 months to 1 1/2 years...

 

[redhawkou812]

It took about two months for our older chickens to get used to three newcomers - started out with the newbies where they could be seen but not picked on for about a month. After the month was up we would let the newbies out for short periods of time with supervision so we could intervene if it looked like anybody was going to get picked on. It was a long process, with some feather pulling involved, but knock on wood, they finally seem to be getting used to each other.

 

[Bridget399]

I just hope this doesn't continue! I really love that little silkie!

 

[Ridgerunner]

You might check out this site. It could help a bunch.

Buff Hooligan’s Adding to your flock
https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-adding-to-your-flock

 

[Bridget399]

Thanks for the input! I thought that since I had just taken away the roos that there wouldn't be a dominate hen just yet (we're talking only HOURS between when the roos went to the butcher and I picked up the new rooster). But I think I know whose picking the most and I may pull her out for a while and see if things calm down.

 

[sonew123]

This weekend is my my big weekend to integrate! 4 more hens into the coop! Im hoping it goes as well as last time Im combining all coops before it starts to freeze -it was snowing today!! Its September for crying out loud!

 

[greenmulberry]

I always isolate the mean ones, and let the newbies have a chance to get integrated with the other flock members. Then I let the aggressors back in after a few days. I find this works much better than separating the new chickens.

 

[juliawitt]

Hang in there...it takes awhile. I put mine in the segragated brooder for almost a full month..lots of seeing with no touching. Starting Sunday let all 16 babies out in the yard with the 2 big girls. Some chasing, a tiny bit of feather pulling but everyone was okay! Left them alone today; everyone seems fine. Tonight we are going to lock them in and leave the door of the brooder open. I hope all will be well with the lights on dim. With a ratio of 16 to 2 and lots of hiding places I think all will be well......I hope!

 

[Bridget399]

Thanks for so much input!

He loves the other chickens and is so curious of them. I have them outside seperated and inside seperated for now. They can see eachother (I'm using hardware cloth). The hens are so curious of him but I still have one or two that are just down right nasty... pulling out chunks of feathers at a time. I have to get her seperated this weekend and see what happens then. Wednesday one of them knocked him in the mud and got his handsome silkie feathers all dirty!

Thanks Again!