Introducing pullets question

[Wisconsinted]

I have 2 pullets who are 12 weeks old. I have two barred rock hens who are over 2 years old. We had three but one died so we bought two more. 4 weeks ago I created a fenced in area for our run with a temporary coop made out of an old tote. I removed the barrier this weekend. One of the older hens chases and pecks any time they get close. I put feed and water on both sides of run to let them have access. My questions are 1. Is this temporary and will they learn to coexist? And 2. I left the plastic tote coop in run and they still roost in it but this can't be permanent and they need to learn to roost in coop with adults. How should I do this? Just remove thr tote and let them figure it out? Tough with one bullying them. Thoughts?

 

[thecatumbrella]

This may be minimally helpful, but I recently wrote an article on the topic. Your older hens have had their routine upended with these new whippersnappers, so they're going to exert the pecking order over a wider range until things settle. They should not be fixating on the pullets to follow and chase endlessly. Pecking order has a limit to it.

You can combine them in the coop with enough space. Do you have some photos of your setup? How large is the coop, and how many linear feet of roost space do you have? Can you place their tote inside the coop temporarily? It's also helpful to leave the auto door open as long as possible to give the pullets a chance to escape and reset once the big girls go to bed.

 

[Mrs. K]

Exchange their place, put the old girls where you have the littles and vice versa. This will let the chicks get some territorial rights in the coop and in the run. And I swear the old girls get used to see them in the run and sky does not fall. I would even leave the old girls there for a night. Go down near dark, and put the littles on the roost, again, getting them some territorial rights.

Do this for two days. Day three, let one of the old girls out, to mix with the chicks. Let the roost together that night, leaving the bully in the time out pen.

If that is going well, then add the other bird. This generally works pretty good.

Also, it is important to have multiple feed stations, but they need to be set up so that a bird eating at one, can't see a bird eating at another. A totle, a piece of cardboard, taped up or a piece of plywood leaned against the wall, something to make a mini wall and place a feed bowl behind it

good luck,
ps - know that the littles will be a sub flock and tend to hang together until they begin to lay, then they will become one flock. But before that, they should tolerate each other.

Mrs K

 

[dawg53]

You can put peepers on the big girls, they work.