Recently, I removed the barrier separating a group of three 20-week old Buff Orpingtons from twelve 20-week old birds of varying breeds. I did everything right. I kept them separated for weeks inside a new coop, where they could see each other and interact without causing harm. I provided ample places to hide, provided multiple feed and water stations, avoided any semblance of over-crowding, and integrated them after night fall when they were sleeping.
I was up before the sun, watching to see what would happen and it was awful. Those two groups who had peacefully co-existed in the same coop, separated by hardware cloth, woke up and all hell broke loose. It was the three Orpingtons that attacked the group of twelve and they did so indiscriminately. Oddly enough, considering both groups are of the same age and size, none of the twelve challenged the Orpingtons. The twelve were uniformly terrified. I watched to see if things would settle down but had to step in when the three Orpingtons cornered a Wyandotte, one grabbing the left wing, the other the right, and the other the tail, and began pulling her apart. It was barbaric. They hadn't specifically targeted her. She just happened to be the one in the huddle of frightened pullets that couldn't get away. I have absolutely no doubt that they would have killed her then moved on to the next one.
I quickly got the girls back on different sides of the fence, waited another week, then tried it again. The aggression was once again extreme, immediate and indiscriminate. The Orpingtons are gorgeous birds and the essence of sweetness when they're alone together or with the mature hens but I've come to realize they will never be able to integrate with their peers. I'm disappointed but that's the way it goes. I've had many groups blend easily but it's always stressful for everyone, bird and human.
