Introduction disaster!

[mellogirl]

I have three 6.5 month old chickens and four 3.5ish month old chickens. They have been free ranging together in my yard for about 6 weeks but I put them in separate pens at night. Last night I decided to try and put them all together. When I got up this morning to check on them one of the babies was dead. I've seen my 2 Rhode Island reds chasing the babies around the yard. I've seen pecking and feathers torn out but never any blood. This morning the baby was pecked and bloody and just laying in the bottom of the coop. The other 3 babies had slipped through a gap in the boards that's too small for the 2 reds. What should I do? I'm so upset this happened and I almost want to just get rid of the two reds as I feel this will solve my problem. Any other advice? I feel like I did everything right. Thanks

 

[cafarmgirl]

I've had aggression issues in the past as well with RIR hens. On integrating new birds they would free range ok but they did NOT allow the new birds into their coop. Those old hens are gone now and I don't plan on getting more of them! Given your reds behavior I would not risk putting the young birds in with them again. I have various other breeds of older chickens and have never had the aggression issues from them that I did with those reds.

 

[BantamLover21]

I have three 6.5 month old chickens and four 3.5ish month old chickens. They have been free ranging together in my yard for about 6 weeks but I put them in separate pens at night. Last night I decided to try and put them all together. When I got up this morning to check on them one of the babies was dead. I've seen my 2 Rhode Island reds chasing the babies around the yard. I've seen pecking and feathers torn out but never any blood. This morning the baby was pecked and bloody and just laying in the bottom of the coop. The other 3 babies had slipped through a gap in the boards that's too small for the 2 reds. What should I do? I'm so upset this happened and I almost want to just get rid of the two reds as I feel this will solve my problem. Any other advice? I feel like I did everything right. Thanks

I'm sorry for your loss.

You did exactly what I would have done.

There is always some fighting among newly-acquainted birds, but it usually doesn't result in death. I would perhaps wait until the young birds get older, or consider isolating one of the Rhode Island Reds so that the young birds only have to deal with one older bird for the time being. Make sure they have enough space, too--large-fowl chickens require at least 2-3 square feet of indoor space, and preferably some outside space as well. If your young birds continue to be bullied, then I would recommend getting rid of the problem birds, permanently isolating them, trimming their beaks, or getting pinless peepers.

 

[ChickenLegs13]

I almost want to just get rid of the two reds as I feel this will solve my problem. Any other advice? I feel like I did everything right. Thanks

You answered your own question.
If you knew the RIR were bullying the younger birds free ranging then you should have never mixed them together unsupervised in a pen.