Pecking Order, Chicken Time-Out and Adding Two Pullets?

[DawnKD]

Need some advice here ...

I have 4 hens - Buff Orp (oldest, gentle yet dominant leader), EE (2nd in command), Delaware and Welsummer (lowest on the rung). My coop is 48 sq feet and my enclosed run is 100 sq ft.

My Delaware is incessant about lording over my Welsummer ... the poor Welsummer comes close or even looks the wrong way and my Delaware is pecking her on the head. No blood, but enough that the Welsummer doesn't dare go close to her or any of the others if there's a treat around. (If she manages to get a morsel, the poor girl runs for her life!) She's very tentative about wandering the run and is always near me if I'm in there and/or looking for a quick escape route from the Delaware. I just put the Delaware in "time out" in my dog crate in the garage so there can be some peace in the coop and run.

On top of that chicken drama, I've got two 11-week-old pullets (Red Sexlink and Barred Rock) who are ready to join the big girls.

I'm wondering if NOW is the time to do with already having messed with the existing flock's pecking order? Or do I wait a day or two until the three hens bond a bit?

I'm thinking chicken time-out for the Delaware will be 3-4 days, but tell me if I'm wrong ....

Thank you!!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I have four chickens, and I just got two more yesterday ! I am seperating the two new girls from the oldies for a week! When it's time to put the two new girls in with the others at night , do I have to worry about them killing the two new girls in the morning? Will I have to get up before they do and wait to make sure everything will work out? Or will the old girls already be used to the two new ones?

I would start my mingling with supervision from you during the day. Yes they could seriously hurt the new ones without a proper introduction. It might take more than a week, it depends on your birds personalities. Introducing new members takes some time, don't rush it.

 

[aart]

I have four chickens, and I just got two more yesterday ! I am seperating the two new girls from the oldies for a week!

Will I have to get up before they do and wait to make sure everything will work out? Probably a good idea.

Or will the old girls already be used to the two new ones? Not likely after just a week.

Here's some notes I've taken on integration that I found to be very helpful.......
......take what applies or might help and ignore the rest.
See if any of them, or the links provided at the bottom, might offer some tips that will assist you in your situation:

Integration of new chickens into flock.

Consider medical quarantine:
BYC Medical Quarantine Article
Poultry Biosecurity
BYC 'medical quarantine' search

It's about territory and resources(space/food/water). Existing birds will almost always attack new ones.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact. Integrating new birds of equal size works best.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide out of line of sight and/or up and away from any bully birds.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best of mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

Another option, if possible, is to put all birds in a new coop and run, this takes the territoriality issues away.

For smaller chicks I used a large wire dog crate right in the coop for the smallers. I removed the crate door and put up a piece of wire fencing over the opening and bent up one corner just enough for the smallers to fit thru but the biggers could not. Feed and water inside the crate for the smallers. Make sure the smallers know how to get in and out of the crate opening before exposing them to the olders. this worked out great for me, by the time the crate was too small for the them to roost in there(about 3 weeks), they had pretty much integrated themselves to the olders. If you have too many smallers to fit in a crate you can partition off part of the coop with a wire wall and make the same openings for smallers escape.

Best example ever of chick respite and doors by azygous https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1069595/introducing-chicks-to-adults#post_16276224


Read up on integration..... BYC advanced search>titles only>integration
This is good place to start reading:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock

 

[DawnKD]

Should I put one of the old chickens to roost with the two new ones for the night on the second night the two new ones came?

Personally, I wouldn't push it that quickly when you can't be there to intervene. You never know when the "nice" chicken is going to get irritated that these strangers have gotten too close or have chosen the favorite roosting spot and decide to strike out.

I would separate them at night for awhile (is there a way to divide the coop or a dog crate you can put the newcomers in so everyone can sleep together without interacting?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Time out for the Delaware is the way to go. Let the rest become friends. One of your adults may take advantage of the separation and bully the chicks.

Introducing like numbers and like sizes always works better so 11 weeks may be young.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

You need to add some things to your run for the bottom birds to go under, sit in or sit on top of, and maybe a visual barrier. Your bottom hen might become the bully to the new birds, so don't be surprised if that happens. If you already have some troubles, your hens are saying they don't have enough room, so adding more birds might make things worse.

Every flock has a certain need for space based on the number of birds and their personalities. If you have adequate room you won't see that type of pecking order behavior repeatedly. You might want to give them more space or things to do.

You should make a separate pen next to or inside your existing one so that everyone becomes familiar with the young ones. Keep them penned separately for a week or two before starting supervised mingling. The first few times can last minutes before it gets rough. Try again, and keep trying until they are mostly left alone and you feel comfortable leaving them together.

 

[DawnKD]

You need to add some things to your run for the bottom birds to go under, sit in or sit on top of, and maybe a visual barrier. Your bottom hen might become the bully to the new birds, so don't be surprised if that happens. If you already have some troubles, your hens are saying they don't have enough room, so adding more birds might make things worse.

Every flock has a certain need for space based on the number of birds and their personalities. If you have adequate room you won't see that type of pecking order behavior repeatedly. You might want to give them more space or things to do.

You should make a separate pen next to or inside your existing one so that everyone becomes familiar with the young ones. Keep them penned separately for a week or two before starting supervised mingling. The first few times can last minutes before it gets rough. Try again, and keep trying until they are mostly left alone and you feel comfortable leaving them together.

You think they need more room than 100 sq ft in a run for 4 birds, plus the 48 sq ft in the coop? That's like 35 sq ft/bird with 4, and 25 sq ft w/ 6 hens. Hmmmmm ....

I have some items to help with boredom .... two big logs - one laying on its side, the other vertically and both are strategically placed for escape routes; a ladder and two side roosts in the run. Plus, the large waterer is strategically places in the center and near a post. The Delaware will attack out of no where and hunt the Welsummer down ....

I've had the 11-week-olds in a separate dog pen inside the run for a week now and a separate box with a lid inside the coop - there's been some ruffled feathers from my BO and a little pecking, but not much else.

 

[DawnKD]

Time out for the Delaware is the way to go. Let the rest become friends. One of your adults may take advantage of the separation and bully the chicks.

Introducing like numbers and like sizes always works better so 11 weeks may be young.

Funny you say that, I'm fully anticipating my bullied Welsummer will be a little chicken-witchy! My EE and Welsummer are nearly 6 months old, so full-sized but not nearly as savvy as my BO. Would 2 on 2 be better? Like put the EE with the Delaware for a day?

Last time I had to do an integration, I had my one BO and she was out-numbered but the three younger ones (EE, Welsummer, Delaware). Being oldest, she immediately was the 'alpha' and those three had to figure out their pecking order around her.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Like numbers, like sizes is always better.

 

[DawnKD]

Like numbers, like sizes is always better.

Ok, thank you!!!