Interesting? Chicken fights?

[Sricher91]

Two questions:

1. I have an established flock. 18 week old Dominique’s (not yet laying) all females. I bought them all when they were 1 day old. They free roam during the day in our small backyard and then get locked in the coop at night. The past week they’ve been fighting in the coop at about 5am. It’s so loud that it wakes me up and when I go to check they are pecking and clawing each other and there are feathers everywhere. I haven’t found any injuries on any birds though. I thought maybe they were too snug in there so I left the door open to the run so they could get out and get some room but this still happened. Any idea why?

Question 2:

So I also have 2, 9 week old bantam silkie mixes. They go outside in a small area during the day where my flock can see them and hear them but not get to them. When they are in this pen my flock doesn’t go near them and has no interest in them. We’ve been doing this about 7-10 days. I’ve tried letting them out to free roam with my flock during the day and the second they aren’t confined my birds come and attack them. How do I stop this? I feel like I’ve done everything right by keeping them out but confined so my birds can get used to them... is there a chance that my flock just will never accept them? We take them in the house at night and they sleep in the brooder. I literally don’t know what else to do.

 

[HuskerHens18]

To be honest, I would not mix your bantams with the Dominiques. It sounds like you have aggressive pullets to begin with.
Do your silkie mixes have crests? Crested birds are at a higher risk of brain damage if they get pecked on the head.
It is also not a good idea to mix difference age groups, there's a hug every difference between 9wks and 18wks.

As for the fighting issue, I'm guessing it's a pecking order problem. Try adding more feeders and waterers so lower ranks have more options.