I've just mixed two 18 day old chicks (1 langshan and 1 salmon faverolle) in with a group of younger chicks, ages ranging from 4-12 days old (2 brahma, 1 australorp, 1 welsummer, 2 ameraucana, 1 barred rock, 1 maran). The 4-12 day olds have been getting along well, possibly because the size difference in them is minute.
The older chicks were introduced this morning. They are about twice as big as the smallest chicks. Faverolle seems to be getting along with everyone; there was a bit of nipping and feather tugging on both sides, but nothing major. She is now comfortably sleeping in the middle of a pile of furballs
To the point though: my blue langshan doesn't seem to want to join the group. From the get-go she has stood apart and interacted little with the other chicks. Right now she's standing in one corner of the brooder by herself. A few hours ago, I saw her pecking at the aussie's eye quite hard. (As an FYI, out of all the younger chicks, the australorp is definitely one of the most dominant. Ex: she made a point of showing faverolle who was boss when F got introduced by incessantly pulling on F's leg feathers for a few hours.) I decided to separate blue lang from the rest, afraid that she'd peck out the aussie's eye.
As a result, she has been very unhappy; trying to fly over the partition every so often and cheeping horribly. I just put her back in with the others (she was seperated for at least 2 hours) and I haven't observed anymore eye-pecking... some feather tugging, yes, (not actual feather pulling out though) when one of the younger ones comes over and annoys her, but that's it. I don't know if this something just between the aussie and blue, or if blue is a straight up jerk. Maybe she is a he? But at 18 days old, should that really make a difference? Like I said, she's still in the corner by herself, facing a wall and not moving or interacting with the others... I really don't know what to think about that.
The older chicks were introduced this morning. They are about twice as big as the smallest chicks. Faverolle seems to be getting along with everyone; there was a bit of nipping and feather tugging on both sides, but nothing major. She is now comfortably sleeping in the middle of a pile of furballs
To the point though: my blue langshan doesn't seem to want to join the group. From the get-go she has stood apart and interacted little with the other chicks. Right now she's standing in one corner of the brooder by herself. A few hours ago, I saw her pecking at the aussie's eye quite hard. (As an FYI, out of all the younger chicks, the australorp is definitely one of the most dominant. Ex: she made a point of showing faverolle who was boss when F got introduced by incessantly pulling on F's leg feathers for a few hours.) I decided to separate blue lang from the rest, afraid that she'd peck out the aussie's eye.
As a result, she has been very unhappy; trying to fly over the partition every so often and cheeping horribly. I just put her back in with the others (she was seperated for at least 2 hours) and I haven't observed anymore eye-pecking... some feather tugging, yes, (not actual feather pulling out though) when one of the younger ones comes over and annoys her, but that's it. I don't know if this something just between the aussie and blue, or if blue is a straight up jerk. Maybe she is a he? But at 18 days old, should that really make a difference? Like I said, she's still in the corner by herself, facing a wall and not moving or interacting with the others... I really don't know what to think about that.
