Is this normal?

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LaFleche said:
How much space do they have to get out of each others faces?
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I'm not sure the measurements of inside the coop but we free range in the day time and we have 100 acres. Inside the coop does have enough room for them to run from one side to another. We free range the older hens so the pullets have some time to themselves
 
Chickenma2021 said:
I moved in 11 pullets in with my 2 hens and its been over a week and my pullets are still terrified of the older hens. I have never owned chickens so is this normal?
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Out of curiosity how old are those pullets. Somebody recently had this issue and we thought they were talking about small chicks but instead those pullets were almost grown. Some of our suggestions would not work.

This is very normal in my flock. Until my chicks mature enough to join the pecking order the more mature will often peck them if the immature invade their personal space. It usually doesn't take long for the younger ones to learn to avoid the older. Terrified can be a good word, especially if they feel trapped.

You shouldn't see any issues when they are outside, the younger can get away from the hens. It can be beneficial to have widely scattered feeding and watering stations to help avoid conflict. Most of the people that have problems outside have them locked in relatively small runs. For you, outside should not be a problem.

The coop can be another issue, that's why some interest in the size of your coop. But it's not just a matter of pure square feet. The quality of that room is also important. Some clutter is better than a bare open coop where they can't get away or out of sight. My roosts are high enough that the young ones aren't going to be pecked by the older ones if they are locked in the coop when all are awake. There is some tight room under my lower nests where some can hide. And there are other places they can sort of hide. You want enough room and clutter that the younger can avoid the older.

At night my immature birds usually do not sleep on the main roosts with the adults. I find that when they are settling down for the night is typically when I see the most brutality. Some people seem to believe that something is wrong if the chicks aren't roosting. I personally don't care where they sleep as long as it is not in my nests and is somewhere predator safe. When they mature enough they will join the adults on the main roosts. Until then they need the room or clutter to avoid the adults.

I don't know what will happen with your chicks at bedtime. They may go into the main coop to sleep. Or if they are not comfortable sleeping in there they may not go in there on their own. If the hens beat them up if they try to go in it's not likely to end well. Having a safe place to sleep in there can be pretty important.

My goal throughout integration is that no one gets hurt. That's it. When they mature enough they will become one big happy flock. As long as no one is getting hurt life is good.

You may notice I use a lot of weasel words like until, shouldn't, can, or usually. There are always exceptions to any of this. You don't get guarantees with the behaviors of living animals. Sometimes mine mingle a lot during the day. Some may sleep on the far end of the main roosts before they are fully ready to join the adult flock. I haven't seen it but others I trust on here say they have, but occasionally an adult will brutally attack a chick that is trying to stay away. Each chicken has its own personality and each flock has its own dynamics. That's why I suggest you base your actions on what you see, not what some stranger over the internet like me tells you that you will or might see. Sometimes this stuff is not a problem at all.

Good luck and let us know what you try and how it goes.
 
Chickenma2021 said:
My pullets are 10 weeks old. I did move them in early because I went on a trip and moving them in the same coop made it easier for my grandfather to feed them.
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Putting animals of any sort together that aren't familiar with each other (short of dogs maybe) can often have adverse consequences. Numbers here are in your favor for the younger birds, but adult chickens can be quite mean and downright dangerous to younger birds. As such, they really need to be integrated via a process of time and getting used to one another in all but the most unusual circumstances.

You can read up on integrating new members of the flock here, but there is lots of information via internet searches:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...t ways,other they might not even pick at all!
 

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