Introducing new birds - when does the chasing stop?

[fatcatx]

I am in the middle of introducing 2 young pullets to our other 2 pullets who are a month older. The day I did the introduction was the day our third bird was rehomed because it turned out to be a roo. I was hoping the flock upset would level the playing field a little. I put the dominant girl in a separate hutch for a few days so the two younger ones would have only one bird to harass them at first. Also thought the older pullet may accept them quicker if she was without her buddy for a few days. I figured after a few days they would have things sorted out and I could reintroduce the other older pullet.

It has been a few days and the younger ones are still being chased around the run by the one pullet. No blood drawn but it doesn't seem to have gotten any better either. How long does it usually take before the constant chasing and pecking stops? How long should I wait for things to improve before I introduce the other older pullet?

 

[bobbi-j]

It's hard to say. Maybe pulling the one pullet out caused the remaining one to feel that she is now the dominant bird and is asserting herself. I wouldn't worry about the chasing - it's just their way of sorting things out. As far as when to return the other pullet, I have no idea. If it's been a few days, maybe you could put her back in with the rest now. They do like company.

 

[fatcatx]

I thought the chasing would taper off once the older girl made it clear where everyone's place was on the ladder.

I don't even want to think about putting the second one in there or the chasing would never stop. Am I just being impatient and need to give it a few more days?

 

[doop]

Something I've noticed with my flock, is that my top hen will only let the new ones know she's the boss and then pretty much leaves them alone. What I've been doing is taking the bottom hen away for awhile, as she alwayys seems to be the worst at chasing. Last week I let my chicks ranging from 3 weeks to 6 weeks out with them after a week in brooder inside coop there was a little chasing, but not too bad so I let my meaties out too. My 4 older hens were so overwhelmed with all the new birds (32 total) that they just sat in the corner most of the day, and they even let the chicks up on top roost bars. I couldn't believe it went so smoothly.

 

[fatcatx]

safety in numbers! I just needed 20 more birds and this would be goining swimmingly! Hmmm. . . food for thought. I wonder which would have been better to separate out at first. Maybe it didn't even matter.

I'm going to give it another day or two before I toss them all in together. I'm sure this would be going much more smoothly if they were free range birds where they could get out of each others' personal space more easily during the day. On my little postage stamp in the city that is not possible. I had hoped this would have gone more smoothly as these birds were raised side by side the whole time. First in see-through containers I used as brooders and then over a month in the run that I separated with wire. Best laid plans left in waste by chicken logic!

 

[fatcatx]

Just a follow-up post-
3 days seemed to be the magic number. At the end of day three, older pullet #1 seemed to have the chasing done with. I put in my dominant girl back in so they were all together and it took about 3 more days for her to get the worst of her chasing over with.

What I found interestiing was that top bird chooses to harass the bottom bird the most. We have general harmony now but she still enjoys putting her in her place regularly. I wouldn't have thought bugging the bottom bird would be worth the bother as she clearly cowers before everyone.

 

[Den in Penn]

With an individual personalities comes a different place on the spectrum of behaviors. You top just likes to push her weight around, another might not. Chances are she will relent after a while.

 

[fatcatx]

"push her weight around"

I guess that is a good way to put it. We accidently got a roo and he was constantly trying to tell her what to do and she would have NONE of it. Funnier still is that she is our most easily handled bird - docile as can be around unfeathered folks. Hopefully she will leave her "sister" alone eventually. Poor back feathers are looking a little ragged.

 

[RedJungleFowl]

Well what i did was i put one bird in a cage then for a few days i let them eat out side of the brooder so that they can see each other then by a week i let them all together they all fight a little but after 2 hours it stop cause i was chasing the top rooster around with a broom and it was like magic they just stop pecking were all running and eating together.