Issue integrating 7 and 11 week olds

[Hinotori]

I've had my two sets of chicks out free ranging together trying to get them all friendly so I can have both coops in the same run. I have 12 eleven week old standard EEs and 4 seven week old silkies. The silkies have all started bullying the EEs. It was just the one silkie I'm positive is a boy at first. He chases them off if he wants a spot, or their food. Any who try and stand up to him get attacked. Now the other three silkies have been watching and learning and chase off the big girls too. The silkie mafia doesn't care that they are smaller and less of them and I was expecting them to be the pickees not the pickers.

So how do I get them all to play nice with each other?

 

[Denninmi]

You know, I had the same issues last year when I tried to integrate 6 about 8 week old Isa Brown pullets in with my 3 then 2 year old RIR hens. It was kind of ugly at first, so I finally put the 3 hens into a small wire cage inside of their normal run, and let the Isa Browns loose. I kept them this way for 3 days, and then opened the door. I did this about 2 hours before sunset. There were some really interesting noises coming from the coop that evening, and a few the next day.

So, they kind of fought it out, and in about 2-3 days, you never would have known they hadn't all been together from day one.

They'll work it out, you just need to do the introduction gradually (a cage within a cage works well, be sure it's the AGRESSORS that are confined, it kind of "takes them down" a notch), and keep an eye out that no one is causing any real harm to anyone else. That's all you really can do, the rest is up to them.

At least that is what worked for me.

 

[cackydoodledoo]

I agree! You just have to let them sort it out. I would as recommended keep an eye on them to make sure noone is getting hurt bad. Once they establish who is boss then all will be good! Good luck!