Is this just an aggressive breed?

[nuttyredhead]

I have 6 Amberlink hens 6 months old ( i just rehomed Scooby Roo and 4 other hens this past week). I also have 4 little chickens 3-4months old, Silkie,silkie mix and brahma. They have been together for 4 days (they spent weeks in a cage so they would know each other, after quar. time. My husband just went to check on them, the hens have pecks almost all the tail feathers off the braham, she is bleeding and pecked her legs so bad they are bleeding. She is acting ok, i have put all the hens outside and the little ones are inside the coop. I have my brahma in a cat carrier for healing time. I also have someone coming for my Amberlinks tomorrow. All 6.

Is this a know aggressive breed? I have read about people intergrating big and little chickens with no problems but this has been nothing put a problem for us! These big girls are nasty to them!!!

Im very upset about this, as of tomorrow i will have gotten rid of all my original flock. It is sad, but i cannot let them beat up my little girls.

Thanks for letting me vent....

 

[sourland]

No, they are not over aggressive. This is just normal chicken behavior. Bigger chickens pick on smaller chickens. If you raise large fowl with bantams, they will generally get along. Introducing bantams to an established flock of standard chickens is generally a problem waiting to happen. Understand that if you choose to introduce more bantams to your established flock of bantams you MAY face similar problems. That being said, silkies are generally more mellow and less contentious.