New Chicks attacked by my original flock.

[MakaylaBW20]

Hello everyone, I have introduced some new chicks to my flock. I have had them around 7 weeks, they are fully feathered and have had outside time in a cage every day, for the past two weeks to enjoy the sun and meet the older chickens. Well I let them run around my feet when I'm outside and my 3, one year old, hens just watch. They have pecked at them, but I thought is was curiosity not aggression. I moved them into the coop together day before yesterday. They did well, nothing was wrong, but this morning the most horrible thing to wake up and see. There were feathers and blood everywhere.

I immediately took the chicks back inside! I have them separated. Only 3 of the 4 chicks were attacked, and one is in critical condition. With blood coming out of its ear and some head wounds. I have since put some antibiotic ointment on their wounds. So my question is how do I keep this from happening again? Why are my chickens attacking the babies? What can I do to stop them?

 

[Lazy Farmer]

Way too young to introduce. We wait until they are equal size.
You should remove the other small one before it is attacked.

 

[MakaylaBW20]

Way too young to introduce. We wait until they are equal size.
You should remove the other small ones before they are attacked.

OK I will keep the other one away from them.

 

[nerfworthy]

Omg, I'm so sorry this happened.

I will be doing this same thing very soon with my chicks, I have read to keep them in the coop but made to where they can only be seen by the older hens and not touched. We plan to make a little wired in area inside the coop with their own food/water access to interact with the older birds through the wire for a while first.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

OK I will keep the other one away from them.

Amazing how chickens are so brutal and vicious to each other but fall victim to predators. If they only fought predators like they attack new introductions.
The older birds are territorial and defending their turf. They have an established pecking order as well.
New intro birds need to be of similar size to make it a fair pecking order stand off.
At 8 weeks old, it is like having Pee Wee Hermon going up against Mike Tyson. Pee Wee is going to get his block knocked off.

 

[MakaylaBW20]

Amazing how chickens are so brutal and vicious to each other but fall victim to predators. If they only fought predators like they attack new introductions.
The older birds are territorial and defending their turf. They have an established pecking order as well.
New intro birds need to be of similar size to make it a fair pecking order stand off.
At 8 weeks old, it is like having Pee Wee Hermon going up against Mike Tyson. Pee Wee is going to get his block knocked off.

I just never expected to walk out to that, I didn't think my hens were aggressive. I will definitely keep then away now that I know.

 

[MakaylaBW20]

By the looks of it does anyone think my wyandotte will make it? The black one?

 

[Lazy Farmer]

I just never expected to walk out to that, I didn't think my hens were aggressive. I will definitely keep then away now that I know.

How big is your coop? Newbies need get-away room as well. Other wise they are trapped and pinned down and can't run away.
BTW, it's not just your chickens being mean, it's all chickens. They are hardwired that way. My goats do it. My pigs do it and when we had Turkeys, man-o-man did they do it. Turkeys are the worst for territorial protection. They make chickens fight look like kittens playing.

Keep the wounds clean. Use an antibiotic cream w/o pain relief. Keep them away from flys until they heal. They are in shock and might not eat well right now. Try giving them some electrolytes to help them bounce back.
I wish you the best..

 

[Lazy Farmer]

By the looks of it does anyone think my wyandotte will make it? The black one?

If you have a TSC near you, I would purchase some blue kote. A wound dressing. I can't tell if the wounds are fatal. But it doesn't look good.

 

[Eggcessive]

Use Vetericyn wound spray on wounds and the face. Keep injured eye cleaned, and use Terramycin eye ointment in eyes, and plain neosporin for wounds.

For introducing new chicks or older birds, I use portable fencing in my coop like below from Lowes or Walmart, then put bird netting on top to keep birds from flying in and out. You can install a simple roost bar, and put food and water in. The whole thing come apart to store. It also can be turned upside down, and the bars that connect it can help to open panels as a gate to enter and replace food and water. You can also build something yourself with material you already have.