My chickens seem to be in 2 flocks 1 coop/run

[Hedgeland Farms]

Good morning all,
Question... I introduced 6 chicks who are roughly 1 -2wk behind my first set of chicks abt 10wks ago.... there seems to be 2 flocks...

How do I get them all to be a flock together???..

The older hens still "bully" a little bit but mostly share the space just fine. My 6 Divas, as they are called...just stay off to theirselves while the rest of the birds hang together...the 6 hang together...will they eventually all hang together?

There's not any pecking, blood being drawn, feathers being plucked.
Etc..

They just seem to stay separate...

They all go into the coop at night... since day one the Divas have taken over the roosts, the others all huddled together on a shelf i have in there for nesting boxes..now they huddle on the floor, since I put the boxes in...(planning on more roosts)
any help in merging these two flocks together?? Or are they as merged as they will ever be...again not any meaness really just the occasional chase away from the food or toys so someone else can get it first.

Main flock 15wks
Subflock 12-14wks

 

[DobieLover]

How do I get them all to be a flock together???..

Wait.

Once everyone starts laying, they will form a more cohesive flock.
But you will always find that birds that are similar in appearance will hang out together.

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

Wait.

Once everyone starts laying, they will form a more cohesive flock.
But you will always find that birds that are similar in appearance will hang out together.

Oh good, so I am not doing anything wrong per say, just the ladies are how the ladies are...lol..


Thanks so much for replying.
My husband thinks I am nuts bc I am so worried abt their wellbeing and want them to be the happiest ever chickens lol

 

[3KillerBs]

As Dobie said, this is normal chicken behavior.

I have various age groups and find that they tend to hang together.

 

[Ridgerunner]

You are not doing anything wrong. My goal during integration is that no one gets hurt. It's that simple, no one gets hurt. Sounds like you achieved that. Mine tend to hang apart by age until the youngest pullets start to lay. Then they mingle and merge into one flock. They can still hang together more by the group they were raised with so it can sometimes look like separate flocks but they can mingle without any drama.

I mostly raise mutts, a barnyard mix, instead of breeds. Each brood I hatch is going to have different colors in it. I find that which ones they were raised with is more important than color when forming their cliques. Personalities can play a part too. My very first flock had different colors/breeds in it. Two Black Australorp and one Delaware formed their own clique and would wander off from the main flock. They were quite adventurous and as different in color as black and white.

 

[Mrs. K]

I is kind of neat, now you can see an obvious division, two sub flocks. And one day it will just be gone.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I have various age groups and find that they tend to hang together.

This is what I've found, too.

This year, I added 5 chicks of the same age from 2 different sources. I raised 2 in a brooder, and the other 3 were raised by a broody. They have become their own little clique. Not what I expected since they were raised separately, but it's nice to see them all get along and fun to watch them play!

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

I is kind of neat, now you can see an obvious division, two sub flocks. And one day it will just be gone.

That's what I am hoping for!!!


Yall have been very helpful, I am not as worried as I was while I sat at work all night wondering and thinking about my chickens and who they are making friends with and who they're not lol

My Divas are just that, Divas lol (Emmalou. Wynonna. Dolly. Reba. Loretta. And Patsy) itll be interesting to watch them blend in more wth the flock

 

[Aunt Angus]

That's what I am hoping for!!!


Yall have been very helpful, I am not as worried as I was while I sat at work all night wondering and thinking about my chickens and who they are making friends with and who they're not lol

My Divas are just that, Divas lol (Emmalou. Wynonna. Dolly. Reba. Loretta. And Patsy) itll be interesting to watch them blend in more wth the flock

I LOVE their names!!!!

 

[SandyRiverChick]

That's really how mine roll all the time because I add 5 every other year. So I always have 2 different groups and then at an even lower level I'll have 2 best buds that roost next to each other only. They just prefer the flock they brooded with. As long as you have what you are describing, mostly peace, then it's all good. Dynamics change slightly as they age. I just make sure to get "nice breeds," and I never have issues big enough to worry about. Nice job!