Mixing Flocks...Acceptable Fighting

[DobieLover]

Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.
You've gotten good advice on integration so I'll leave it at a greeting!

 

[Jmonroe]

Hello there and welcome to BYC!

Total integration of birds can take months to achieve. There will be a lot of jostling and arguing for position in the flock at first, as long as it doesn't turn bloody it's best to let them work it out. And always intervene if it gets too violent. Make SURE you are offering them enough room, cramped quarters can lead to enough bullying, leading to death. Did you keep these two groups close enough to each other that they spent plenty of time face to face? This is very important that they interact behind wire a lot before mixing. A minimum of 10 square feet per bird in the run, 5 square feet per bird in the coop, more if you can afford it.

Oh and get some large wire dog crates. They make excellent jail cages! Don't be afraid to jail a very aggressive bird that refuses to accept the others or one. These cages make excellent hospital cages too.

Good luck and welcome to our community!

Good advise and thank you for the welcome. The run and coop are a little tight. 9.6 sqft per bird for run and 4.8 sqft per bird in coop. I have had the tractor right next to the older chickens for about 3 weeks now. They can face off and peck between the 1/2 in hardware cloth. When I first got the younger ones they were all in the basement together but in separate cages for about three weeks until the older ones went into coop. I figured being 4 weeks apart would be better than waiting until next year to get the other five chickens. My place had messed up our original order so that’s why I didn’t get them all at the same time. Both breeds are suppose to be good tempered. I only raised leghorns when I had my dairy farm.

 

[Starburst]

Hi, and welcome to BYC! So excited you joined!
Make yourself at home in this amazing community!

 

[featherhead007]

Integration is never easy, except for me. (a little laughing gas piped in, works wonders) I'm kidding!

 

[drumstick diva]

Welcome to BYC, thank you for joining the flock

 

[chrissynemetz]

Hi and welcome to BYC! We're glad you joined us!

 

[nao57]

I wish I could say this is my idea...but it isn't. I forgot which person it came from on this site, and they said that when you have more than one water and food source you set up blinds so that the ones at one food/water source don't see the other sources. (To reduce enmity etc.)


But I would add...I wonder what would happen if you put hawk bird of prey style blinds on the two most aggressive chickens for a few days to make them not go after the others? (I haven't tested this but believe it could possibly work.)