Introducing new chicks

[Ckrawczyk949]

Hi all,

We have 4 one year old hens and we recently got 6 new chicks. The new girls are about 14/15 weeks olds we currently have them separated but they all can see each other the entire time for the last month. When we let them roam free in the yard the two groups avoid each other completely. We attempted to take the divider out and thing were fine for a few hours but then some of our bigger girls got rough with them and we had to separate for their own safety.

Any advice on what to do?

 

[DobieLover]

Hi all,

We have 4 one year old hens and we recently got 6 new chicks. The new girls are about 14/15 weeks olds we currently have them separated but they all can see each other the entire time for the last month. When we let them roam free in the yard the two groups avoid each other completely. We attempted to take the divider out and thing were fine for a few hours but then some of our bigger girls got rough with them and we had to separate for their own safety.

Any advice on what to do?

Define getting rough. If no one was being bloodied or backed into a corner and brutalized, they are likely just working out the pecking order in the combined flock.
Make sure you have LOTS of space, places for the pullets to get out of the line of sight of the hens and multiple feed and water stations. They need to work things out on their own. No one is getting out of the integration process without getting pecked!

 

[Ckrawczyk949]

Define getting rough. If no one was being bloodied or backed into a corner and brutalized, they are likely just working out the pecking order in the combined flock.
Make sure you have LOTS of space, places for the pullets to get out of the line of sight of the hens and multiple feed and water stations. They need to work things out on their own. No one is getting out of the integration process without getting pecked!

No blood but they were ripping feather out and cornering them. We have two water and food containers, one of each on each end of the run for them to have their own space.

 

[DobieLover]

No blood but they were ripping feather out and cornering them. We have two water and food containers, one of each on each end of the run for them to have their own space.

How large is the run? Do you ever let them out to range?

 

[Ckrawczyk949]

How large is the run? Do you ever let them out to range?

We added onto our run to make sure there is plenty of space. And we let them out all day when weather is permitting.

 

[DobieLover]

We added onto our run to make sure there is plenty of space. And we let them out all day when weather is permitting.

How large is the run in ft x ft? Can you post pictures?

 

[Ckrawczyk949]

How large is the run in ft x ft? Can you post pictures?

Around 160 sq ft not including the coop or under the coop.

 

[DobieLover]

Around 160 sq ft not including the coop or under the coop.

It's a good size. But it would be easier for all of them if you could let them mingle out of the run to get used to each other with even more space.

 

[Ckrawczyk949]

It's a good size. But it would be easier for all of them if you could let them mingle out of the run to get used to each other with even more space.

We let them free range our property as often as possible (we get eggs more frequently when they run lol) and they avoid each other the entire time

 

[DobieLover]

We let them free range our property as often as possible (we get eggs more frequently when they run lol) and they avoid each other the entire time

They will avoid each other for a while. That doesn't mean they aren't checking each other out and getting used to one another. Give it time.