Intragrating new chickens to old chickens

[LnFarm1]

Help! My older chickens are not liking my new chickens! They have killed to already and are now after more! How can I stop this from happening? I have had them in visual sight about 4 weeks and just put them all together in the last 3 days! I have tried to put them all out to free range together and that failed! Tried putting branches in the coop and run to help add some protection for the new chickens no luck with that! Now gonna try a distraction for them in the run! What else can I do??

 

[lazy gardener]

How many older birds, how many younger birds, what is the exact size of your coop and run? How old are the new ones?

 

[LnFarm1]

Nine older birds and 10 younger ones! Coop is 8’x8’ and run is 10’ x 8’. The new chickens are 10 to 12 weeks old!

 

[Tguilbeau]

Nine older birds and 10 younger ones! Coop is 8’x8’ and run is 10’ x 8’. The new chickens are 10 to 12 weeks old!

I’m no means an expert but it could be from over crowding. From y understanding you want 2-4sqft per bird of floor space on the coop and 10sq ft of run space per bird minimum. Now like I said I’m not an expert with this just a suggestion

 

[rosemarythyme]

The issue is space, you have about enough space for the old birds but no space for additional birds. Integration requires more space than minimum recommended and you're well under that with the extra birds.

 

[drumstick diva]

Please use search box to find "See but don't touch," method of integration. It is the kindest, gentlest way to do so.

 

[aart]

Agrees that space is going to be an issue when they are confined.
And coop space is going to be an issue, especially if you live in a snowy clime, unless your run is weather proof.

You've done the 4 week in "visual sight"....
.... but were the enclosures sharing a wire wall or farther apart?

Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Depending in where you are located relative to weather and how you manage them, that coop/run may be tight or it may be adequate when they are all adult and confined. But that is another issue. Your issue is integration.

Can you please better describe your set-up? Photos might help. Where are the 12-week-olds living now and how is that tied into the main coop/run? You mentioned free range. How big is that free range area? Could you describe it just a bit, how open is it.

It sounds like you did exactly what I'd do. House them side by side for a while then let them out to free range together. Let them go back to their own sleeping area at night. But two died so it did not work. What are you flock make-ups, roosters/hens in one and cockerels/pullets in the other? What breeds are they?

Which ones are dying or being chased, pullets, cockerels, or is it random? Can you identify an instigator in the adults? Sometimes one starts it and others join in. 12 week old cockerels are young for a rooster to see them as rivals but maybe. Sometimes you have a really brutal hen, often a lower ranking one, that will seek out younger chicks to destroy them. Is there any kind of pattern you can see as to who is attacking and who is dying?

 

[LnFarm1]

I only have pullets and hens! Free ranging is like 3 acres! Here is the coop and run! All the chickens sleep in the same area at night and there is no problem! The big ones are Isa Browns, Americana, Orpingtons, Red Cross ! One of the ones causing trouble is now dead! Not sure what happen to her!

 

[LnFarm1]

Please help!