I've heard that hens that are laying won't like getting new chicks in the coop. What do you do to make the older ones accept the young ones? I have four auracanas and I'm thinking about getting four more. There is plenty of room in the coop, but I don't want to get new chicks if the hens are going to peck at them.
I introduce chicks to the rest of the flock after they are fully feathered and are almost the size of the adults. Introducing them when they are too young/small can result in death. Chickens can be brutal. A good way of introducing them is to place them in a cage inside the coop and keep them there for a few days. Your adult birds will get more used to them this way and will be less likely to be too aggressive since they will then be "old news." Release them into the coop when you are there so you can watch for any serious fighting. Fighting will happen 100% of the time since a pecking order has to be established but it shouldn't get too bad. If it does - take the young birds out and try again when they are a little bigger. After the younger birds have been in the coop for a while the dominance hierarchy will be established and fighting should almost disappear.
