new birds don't defend themselves

[chesterchicks]

About 3 days ago I added two 12 week old birds to my flock of 4 (all over a year old). I introduced them at night by setting them on the perch and they slept together with no problems. I keep them separated in the run, and at night they go into the coop all by themselves to sleep with the others.

However, when I let them mingle at other times, it's terrible. The new birds don't defend themselves at all. They just cower while the others attack them and I always have to put them back behind the partition. I have had to intervene numerous times.

If I just give them the time, will they eventually stop attacking the new birds, or will the new birds have to defend themselves in order to get the attacks to stop? I decided to not let them mingle at all until the 2 week period is up (where they can see each other but not touch each other).

 

[Den in Penn]

Yes a period of just seeing each other before actually mingling helps enormously. It takes a while for a new bird to be accepted as not being a stranger and allowed a place in the pecking order. There will still be some pecking to establish the order even then. A week is the most common lenght used. With yours already having been attacked, two weeks isn't out of order to let things settle a bit.

 

[chesterchicks]

Thanks!