introducing 12 weeks old to 8 month old pullets

[KathyJB]

I just came home and found one of my Black Copper Marans dead. It looks to be either an animal like a hawk or owl or maybe the rooster cornered her and tried to breed her. I now have the remaining Marans back in the cattle trough as I don't know if the rooster killed the other one.

When should you introduce younger chickens with your older ones?

 

[Smoochie]

When they are close to the same size..

 

[The Chickeneer]

When chickens are two months old, they may be intoduced to the older flock. If the breeds are different and some are much bigger then others, then you should wait until they are all around the same size. Make sure your chickens have enough space, or else they will be agressive with each other and peck out of boredom. Enough space ensures that the chickens can escape or run away from anything trying to get them. Also have some protection where your chickens can go to and a hawk or owl cant reach it.

If it was the rooster that killed them, then i would keep the hens separate from him, or rehome the rooster. I have found that some roosters just dont like certain hens for reasons that I dont know. I once had a rooster that would kill or attack any hen that was white or black or bigger than him. He only liked little brown hens. When i started to let them loose on a bigger range, he didn't attack those hens he disliked at all , the hens had space to run away, and after a while he just gave up on them. Unless your chickens have a lot of space, i would keep the hens separated until they were a little older. Once they are older, he should accept them, if he does not, then he probably never will.

 

[KathyJB]

Wow, I've never heard about that about a rooster. I thought maybe it was because he was so much heavier than the little hen. With their feathers all poofed out they are about the same size, but when I hold them I can tell the Marans were a bit smaller.
My brother insists it wasn't an owl because an owl would have eaten the little Marans. But I have dogs out there and they could have scared it off. Then there is the possibility my hound may have bitten her to play. I've had the chickens out around him for a month and he just looks for their poop to eat and mostly ignored them. Now that things are calming down around here I have time to observe him around the chickens, but first I want to put the training collar on him, that way I can watch from a distance so he doesn't see me watching him. If he looks like he is going to bite one I can train him that it will hurt if he does. Then I don't know what I will do. I've been letting them out in the evening and staying out there to watch over them.

I do know hawks are migrating now so that is a possibility too. I guess time will tell.