Pecking Order Issues (Why I hate the pecking order!)

[ZANEYchickenguy]

For one week, my 8-week old birds were separated from my 18-week old ones through a divider. They both have full access in the run and I have multiple feeders and waterers set up and the older ones don't let the younger ones eat! (There is no severe pecking). I want to know if it's a good idea to put the young ones back into a divider in the run till they are 16-18 weeks old. I do not stay home all day, so I can't really watch what's happening in the run, so the idea is for the safety of the flock. When the 8-week old's get older, will they have a better chance against the older ones? Will there be less pecking and worrying? I know this is a lot but this is my first time integrating.

 

[Ridgerunner]

How many 8-week-olds do you have? How many 18-week-olds do you have? How big, in feet or meters, is your run? I'm trying to figure out how crowded it is in the run.

Can they see the other feeding and eating stations or are some out of line-of-sight? Multiple feeding and watering stations help a lot more if they can't see all of them at the same time. One word you sometimes see on here is clutter. That means things they can get under, behind, or over to break line-of-sight. Clutter greatly improves the quality of what room you have.

Where are the older ones sleeping? Where are the younger ones sleeping? What do your coop(s) look like? How big in feet or meters and what do the roosts look like in the main coop? I'm trying to determine your situation and what you have to work with. A photo or two might really help.

I want to know if it's a good idea to put the young ones back into a divider in the run till they are 16-18 weeks old.

My definition of a successful integration is that no one gets injured. I don't worry about them becoming one big happy flock to start, that stuff comes later when they all mature.

In my flock the more mature outrank the less mature in the pecking order until they all mature. That's usually about the time or just after the younger pullets start to lay. Until then they form sub-flocks with the younger avoiding the older. That's during the day and when they sleep at night. If the less mature invade the personal space of the more mature they are likely to get pecked. That doesn't happen with each and every chicken in each and every flock but with mine it doesn't take long for the younger to learn to avoid the older.

My brooder is in the coop. My brooder-raised chicks grow up with the flock. My typical integration is that when the chicks are 5 weeks old I open the brooder door in the morning and walk away. My broody hens raise their chicks with the flock from hatch. I've had a couple of broody hens wean their chicks as young as 3 weeks and leave them alone to make their way with the flock. They do.

I have over 3,000 square feet outside and weather when I integrate that they can be outside all day every day. My coop is big enough that they can sleep separated from the adults. They pretty much avoid the adults day and night until they mature enough to join the pecking order. I've never seen an immature pullet stand up and fight a mature hen, not until she is also mature.

You are in a different situation because they didn't grow up together and I don't know how much room you actually have. From what you describe I think it is going pretty well, no one is injured. What I suggest is that when you can be home to observe let the two groups mingle during the day and sleep separately at night until you are OK with them doing that. Then let them roam together during the and sleep separately at night for several weeks before you put them in the same coop to sleep at night. When I do that I'm down there at first light when they wake up to make sure everything is going well. It always is but I check anyway.

Sometimes these integrations go so smoothly you wonder what all the fuss was about. Sometimes not. Many people don't go as slowly as I suggest and do fine. I consider what I suggest as extremely safe. It doesn't mean it always works, when dealing with living animals and their behaviors you don't get guarantees. And I don't know how crowded your area is, I think that is important. Good luck!

 

[ZANEYchickenguy]

Thank you @Ridgerunner for giving me so much advice! I really do appreciate it. I probably going to go with what you suggested on sleeping in separated areas. Hopefully, the integration process will all be over soon.
Again thank you so much! Nobody usually answers my posts.

 

[aart]

Nobody usually answers my posts.

You've started several other threads on this same topic,
where you got pretty good advice.
Of course, @Ridgerunner always give the most thorough advice.