One of my flock grabbed at a chick

[McChooky]

When they integrate I am opening up the little run so they all have run of almost my entire backyard + hideyholes, don't worry there will be Plenty of fleeing space. This is day 4 of the babies having been visible to the other girls all day, day 5 of them being visible at least at night.

I've unfortunately caught a bug of some sort, but as soon as I'm better I'm gonna grab a second pair of eyes for supervision and try to let everyone get along together.

The biggest threat is openings only big enough for the chicks. If momma can't reach them she can't protect them.

 

[BeanieBabies]

yeah... they can walk straight through the fence but mama can't. might see if I can grab some shadecloths to string around the perimeter

 

[BeanieBabies]

Update: Today we tried a trial integration by letting Bean and her babies out of their little run.

Paprika is absolutely chill, she gives a single chick a tiny peck to say 'back off', and other than that is fine.

Splurt, on the other hand, seems to think the chicks are for hunting for sport. I swear she's trying to eat one.

Worse, Bean doesn't view either of her flockmates as remotely a threat, unlike how she views random birds that land near her.

While trying to keep Splurt away from the chicks after noticing her trying to grab at them, one chick gets separated in the hustle and starts following Splurt instead of her mum.

Suffice it to say, nobody was hurt, but we're not trying that again until the chicks are at least 3 weeks old, big enough that Splurt can't view them as snack-sized.

 

[LuciferRoo]

If you are going to partition them, I would suggest making a frame filled with hardware cloth.
You want them to see each other and get close without the possibility of pecking.
Once the chicks are big enough you can remove the partition.

 

[BeanieBabies]

That's pretty much the setup now. I've got them in a 'time share', Splurt and Paprika have the large outer enclosure, which is most of my backyard, and Bean and her babies have a mouse mesh (I think this is the same thing as hardwire cloth) little run that is predator proofed.

Pictures included!

 

[McChooky]

The momma didn't try to protect them? Hmmmm

 

[BeanieBabies]

She chases off other, non-chicken birds that are in the yard, but doesn't seem to react from Splurt. Could this be a pecking order thing? I know that before she went super broody, Bean was outright bullying Splurt at mealtime (I put up two separate feeders about it and that helped), so I don't really understand why there is no reaction now.

 

[McChooky]

I have no experience with a broody hen who allowed her flockmates to aggressively peck her chicks sorry!My chicks are 12 weeks old and last night was the first time she didn't roost beside them

 

[McChooky]

One of the hens my broody was raised tried to hurt her chicks multiple times but my Sapphire stood her ground and defended them.She took her chicks to the other side of the yard so the flock didn't have to look at them all day.When her chicks were hungry she brought them back to the coop to eat and fought whoever crossed her

 

[BeanieBabies]

Chicks are 2 weeks old now. Today we very carefully tried integration. For the most part, Paprika is good, mostly she ignores the chicks or pecks where they are pecking, although she did get one peck in.

Splurt on the other hand is still incredibly strange. She stares at the chicks, follows them very intently and doggedly, and tries to grab and peck at them. She's not super rough (no chicks are injured), but she is very consistent and simply will not stop doing this. She acts almost scared and startled by the chicks at times, and I believe is pecking them curiously. She responds to chick distress noises like a flock member needs help. I honestly have no idea what's going on in her head.

Bean, the chicks mama, only charged at Splurt for one of the several pecks, and mostly just completely ignores the fact that her chicks are being followed and pecked at. Bean is far too docile, despite being a bully while she was broody.

I'll be honest, I don't really know what to do for future strategies here. Bean always wants out with the flock and her babies, but Bean does not protect her chicks from the other hens, she doesn't even seem to notice it's happening. I don't know what age is ideal to integrate, obviously the sooner the better but safety also must be first.