Little buggers won't stop

[kburruano]

We introduced three new twelve-week-old hens to our current flock of three one-year-old hens. It's been at least two months and they still don't get along. They share a run which is 10x10, during the day, but it's like two rival gangs. Old ladies over here and little ones over there. They've gotten in closer proximity without the big girls attacking, but still no mixing. Because of drawn blood we took the little girls out of the coop at night and give them their own space in our original smaller coop. We have tried twice to reintroduce to the big coop at night ann the little girls end up with pecked heads and blood all over. So tonight we put the big girls in the little girls small coop, and the little girls in the bigger coop. I'm hoping that if we do that for a few nights it can retrain, or reset the pecking order? Am I right?

 

[Shadrach]

We introduced three new twelve-week-old hens to our current flock of three one-year-old hens. It's been at least two months and they still don't get along. They share a run which is 10x10, during the day, but it's like two rival gangs. Old ladies over here and little ones over there. They've gotten in closer proximity without the big girls attacking, but still no mixing. Because of drawn blood we took the little girls out of the coop at night and give them their own space in our original smaller coop. We have tried twice to reintroduce to the big coop at night ann the little girls end up with pecked heads and blood all over. So tonight we put the big girls in the little girls small coop, and the little girls in the bigger coop. I'm hoping that if we do that for a few nights it can retrain, or reset the pecking order? Am I right?

It's worth a shot. You may find a seperate coop and run works best for each group.
You can't reset the pecking order. Only the hens can do that.
Good catch on the drawing blood. I think that's the right point to step in if it goes on a bit.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Do you have a larger area they can free range in? I have two separate flocks right now because some of my more docile girls couldn't hack it with the older ones but most of them managed fine after a week or so out in the yard together

 

[kburruano]

They all free range for some time daily. It's the three big girls together and then two little girls together and the third little girl goes back and forth but never fully in with the big girls. Little ones seem scared. They've gotten used to them both in the coop and free ranging but generally give them a very wide berth.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

After two months if they're not getting along they may never. As long as they aren't picking on each other or stopping the little ones from eating or drinking you might just be as good as you're going to get. If you have a couple feed stations that always helps

 

[kburruano]

Say it isn't so....

 

[Happy hen lover]

Oh it's so . "Birds of a feather flock together" is for real. Mine never drew blood but they still don't like them. One day I babysat the babies and bonked the mean old hen on the head lightly and BAWKED at her. Stopped her for umm oh a DAY!
It is what it is.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Say it isn't so....

It's not so. More mature birds outrank less mature birds in the pecking order and are likely to peck the younger if they invade their personal space. It usually doesn't take that long for the younger to learn to avoid the adults. My pullets typically stay separated until they start to lay. That seems to trigger the adults seeing them as adults, not immature brats.

This separation before maturity is day and night. Mine typically avoid the older ones during the daytime and will not sleep on the main roosts with the adults at night. The problem is when they are going to sleep. If the pullets fly up to the roosts while they can still see the older ones will probably peck them unless they are pretty far away. With you only having 6 birds and that small of a run it's likely your coop is pretty small. When you are integrating that 4 square feet in the coop and 10 square feet in the run don't mean anything, especially if there is a maturity difference. They need enough room to run away and get away and enough room to avoid in the first place. If your three older ones are in the middle of that run the young ones can't get that far away. It's pretty typical for the juveniles to be in the coop while the adults are in the run with that kind of set-up. That's a good way for them to avoid the adults.

All this changes when the juveniles mature enough to be accepted by the adults. They may still hang more with their buddies they were raised with but they can sleep next to each other and eat next to each other without a lot of drama. Usually the transition from juvenile to sleeping next to the adults comes with very little drama. I usually don't notice it happening until I notice it has already happened.

It's not always as bad as I made it sound. Each year my flock has a different dynamic. Some years even young chicks mingle a lot more than others. Chicks raised by a broody hen with the flock often have it easier, though often doesn't mean always.

It sounds like yours are doing OK in the run during the day, even in that small run. You are doing pretty good there. It's them sleeping together that's the problem. To me, that implies that your main coop is pretty small. The juveniles can't find a place to sleep in there where they are safe from the bigs. You can try what you are doing about swapping sleeping places. Sometimes stuff like that does work. But you may need to let them sleep separately until the littles move into the main coop on their own (that does sometimes happen). Or try moving them in when the juveniles start to lay.

It is far from hopeless but integrating in small spaces is harder than having a lot of room. Good luck!

 

[Mrs. K]

We all have different experiences, but I have never had mine stay separate groups once they all begin laying. But mine are all large fowl birds, I don't mix LF and bantams.

Basically the OP has doubled her flock, so the question of space is a concern. And I am not quite sure how the space is set up. If the option is there, and the small chick's coop is quite small, I think eventually the littles will follow the bigs into the main coop. Just give it time. Once one or two go, just close up the little coop.

I think that the OP is nearly over the worst of it.

Mrs K

 

[kburruano]

It's not so. More mature birds outrank less mature birds in the pecking order and are likely to peck the younger if they invade their personal space. It usually doesn't take that long for the younger to learn to avoid the adults. My pullets typically stay separated until they start to lay. That seems to trigger the adults seeing them as adults, not immature brats.

This separation before maturity is day and night. Mine typically avoid the older ones during the daytime and will not sleep on the main roosts with the adults at night. The problem is when they are going to sleep. If the pullets fly up to the roosts while they can still see the older ones will probably peck them unless they are pretty far away. With you only having 6 birds and that small of a run it's likely your coop is pretty small. When you are integrating that 4 square feet in the coop and 10 square feet in the run don't mean anything, especially if there is a maturity difference. They need enough room to run away and get away and enough room to avoid in the first place. If your three older ones are in the middle of that run the young ones can't get that far away. It's pretty typical for the juveniles to be in the coop while the adults are in the run with that kind of set-up. That's a good way for them to avoid the adults.

All this changes when the juveniles mature enough to be accepted by the adults. They may still hang more with their buddies they were raised with but they can sleep next to each other and eat next to each other without a lot of drama. Usually the transition from juvenile to sleeping next to the adults comes with very little drama. I usually don't notice it happening until I notice it has already happened.

It's not always as bad as I made it sound. Each year my flock has a different dynamic. Some years even young chicks mingle a lot more than others. Chicks raised by a broody hen with the flock often have it easier, though often doesn't mean always.

It sounds like yours are doing OK in the run during the day, even in that small run. You are doing pretty good there. It's them sleeping together that's the problem. To me, that implies that your main coop is pretty small. The juveniles can't find a place to sleep in there where they are safe from the bigs. You can try what you are doing about swapping sleeping places. Sometimes stuff like that does work. But you may need to let them sleep separately until the littles move into the main coop on their own (that does sometimes happen). Or try moving them in when the juveniles start to lay.

It is far from hopeless but integrating in small spaces is harder than having a lot of room. Good luck!

These r some pics I have on my phone. They have that space and a half acre to roam as well. We got one little laying for about a week now and she gets beat up the most....