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Hi IlovePecky ,
Sorry, that's my bad! I've had such poor Marans hatches since I started, that I was doubting my ability to hatch anything! Plus, I wanted some broodies to hatch for me, so I got some Silkies and got off on a tangent!
With my limited experience, you need to house the older hens seperately for a while. Try building a smaller pen within the night coop for them, so that the young ones and the hens can see each other, but can't get at each other. 12 week old pullets are still a bit smaller than grown hens, and these older girls can be very aggressive, at least they are here. My older pullets and hens are way worse towards new birds than the roos! That said, it may be different in your situation, as the hens are coming into a new territory and not guarding their own, so they may not feel so bossy towards the young ones. Try letting them all together in an enclosed run, and feed some treats to all. Mealworms seem to be a great treat and they may help ease the transition. Keep an eye on them and supervise. There will be some skirmishes, but as long as they are not blood baths, let them work it out. At night they won't be fighting once everyone is settled in, but it's the morning when the fights usually start. Good luck.
Hi IlovePecky ,
Sorry, that's my bad! I've had such poor Marans hatches since I started, that I was doubting my ability to hatch anything! Plus, I wanted some broodies to hatch for me, so I got some Silkies and got off on a tangent!
With my limited experience, you need to house the older hens seperately for a while. Try building a smaller pen within the night coop for them, so that the young ones and the hens can see each other, but can't get at each other. 12 week old pullets are still a bit smaller than grown hens, and these older girls can be very aggressive, at least they are here. My older pullets and hens are way worse towards new birds than the roos! That said, it may be different in your situation, as the hens are coming into a new territory and not guarding their own, so they may not feel so bossy towards the young ones. Try letting them all together in an enclosed run, and feed some treats to all. Mealworms seem to be a great treat and they may help ease the transition. Keep an eye on them and supervise. There will be some skirmishes, but as long as they are not blood baths, let them work it out. At night they won't be fighting once everyone is settled in, but it's the morning when the fights usually start. Good luck.
