Older ones pulling young ones feathers

[xx Georgina xx]

hello,
I bought new chicks, but they are near to the ned of the pecking order
However my older ones are pulling my chicks feathers out when they need to go inside (I seen them)
What shall I do?

 

[JoeinNC]

I have similar question and though I'd just tag it hear rather than start a new tread. Dogs killed most of my flock, a sad day. One hen survived. I now have seven new chicks that are about 5 weeks old. I put one the coop with Henny Penny to see how see would react. She was very aggressive and would have possible killed the chick had I not been there.

What is the best way to introduce new chicks to an existing flock? I'm building a separate brood pen in the existing coop and I'm hoping that the older birds will eventually accept the new chicks.

 

[chickmomma03]

I'm doing a look but don't touch approach with my younger chicks. There is a 6wk gap between the 2 purchases. It's working well so far. They have been out in the mini coop (makeshift) I built for about 1 1/2wks now, yesterday we put all the hens except for 1 up, and kept the rooster out too. Kept them out interacting for a while, and then would bring 1 more out and let them interact for a while before repeating until all were out. My last one was a jerkoff and grabbed a chunk of feathers out of Quail. I did NOT put them into the big coop last night, and don't plan to until several rounds of this have been done. My younger chicks are appreciating being outside, but being where they can't be pecked. I tried regular introductions but the older were relentlessly pecking them, and I don't accept that (despite it maybe being "normal" chicken behavior), I can't have them pecking them until they bleed, and I certainly don't want them regularly ripping chunks of feathers out of younger chicks (or any for that matter).

 

[azygous]

When you have young chicks you're trying to integrate with adult chickens, it's helpful to have a panic room. This is a safe pen with chick-size openings that the adults can't fit through. 5x7 inch holes will accommodate a chick until age three months.

I begin integration at age three weeks and the chicks learn in just a few short minutes where safety is, and they enjoy zipping around the run just one beak out of reach of a pursuing adult.

It also helps to have lots of space and things for the chicks to run behind and jump up onto out of reach of big chickens.

When moving chicks into the coop with adults, it helps to situate them near the oldest in the flock, not the youngest, since those are lowest in the pecking order and most likely to be bullies, having recently been bullied themselves.