my three new 6 weeks old are getting picked on

[jaimemae]

Hi all, I have a group of (6) 6 week olds that I hatched and have raised since then. I just moved them out to their own small coop and run (separate from the adults). I got three more chicks that are the same age (hatched one day apart). My 6 are picking on the new 3 relentlessly. So the three new ones are cowering in the corner. The original 6 are not letting them eat or drink. Should I let them work it out or should I remove the new three? I am not sure what to do. They need to integrate but I don't want them hurt/scared and hungry. They are all about the same in size. Will it just take a few days to work out???
Thanks!

 

[Judy]

Ideally, identify one or two "bullies," leaders of the pecking, and remove them for a week or so. Removing then returning individuals puts them at or near the bottom of the pecking order. Alternately, enlarge their space, put out a second food and water station in a different spot, provide hiding places. Another approach is to move the whole bunch to a new area, perhaps in an unused fenced garden or the like, at least during the day. You can even "peck back" at the peckers. I used to use a long thin weed branch that was too flimsy to cause pain but strong enough to send the message, which I think comes more from the "tap" itself than discomfort. Sometimes you have to remove one who is being ecked, but this doesn't help stabilize the pecking order, it just protects it physically, for a while.

Or, if no blood is being drawn, just do what you can to distract them, perhaps feed the new ones separately for a few minutes a couple times a day, and just let them work it out.

Sometimes they will attack a chicken who gets a lot of holding or affection from a human, so if you have lap chickens, you might do more holding of the bullies than the victims. This labels you the flock leader or a dominant chicken.