Pecking order?

[ChickChick16]

New to chickens- lovIng them- I have 2 black orpingtons and 6 New Hampshire / Rhode Island Red crosses- the orpingtons are picking on the Reds quite a bit over the past 2 days- should I be concerned?

 

[BruceAZ]

 

[Mrs. K]

How long have you had the birds, and did you get them as chicks?

About this time of year, many people come on with a problem similar to yours, birds that were getting along together all of a sudden are not getting along and pecking.

Measure your set up, coop /run, as the chicks grow, what was enough space, may no longer be enough space. Also take a look at your run. Is it just an open area in a pen? Get some hide outs in there, put some pallets up on blocks, letting hens get under them or on top of them. Add some roosts to the run. This allows birds to get away from each other and out of sight.

Good luck.

Mrs K

 

[juliebd]

I incorporated 3 10-week old chicks (Silver-laced Wyandotte, [COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.870588)]Ameraucana[/COLOR], Black [COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.870588)]Australorp) into my flock of 4 older hens (Barred Wyandotte, [/COLOR] Light Brahma, White Plymouth Rock, Austra White). For 7 days I had the new chicks in a crate outside the coop during the day so they would get used to the scent of each other. Bringing the girls into the flock seemed to go smoothly as the older girls chased the younger girls around a bit, but nothing savage or anything. Here we are more than a week later and I would not say that I have one flock. I have two flocks, coexisting. Although the younger girls tend to hide in the corner when the big girls come in the coop. The big girls sleep on the perch while the young girls sleep in the next box. I do have one who is brooding and she is a bit more aggressive with them.

Is this normal behavior? Will the eventually intermingle?

Thank you.

 

[ChickChick16]

things seem to be a bit better today - i have added a second feeder in the coop and that seemed to help quite a bit, being that i rescued the Red cross birds from a bad situation in a egg farm ( their nails are SUPER long from not being able to walk around and scratch ) ... i didn't want them having to "fight" for anything... i so admire what this lady ( now friend ) has done by taking in 300+ birds to get them out of those cages, i could only take 6... but love them , such sweet birds and very social. all giving 1-2 eggs a day..... im hoping after a few more days my orpingtons will have mingled and accepted them a bit more....1 came up to feed witht he others this morning, so i think i have progress....

 

[ChickChick16]

thank you for that video, that was very helpful... they seem to be better today ...

 

[chickens really]

I incorporated 3 10-week old chicks (Silver-laced Wyandotte, [COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.870588)]Ameraucana[/COLOR], Black [COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.870588)]Australorp) into my flock of 4 older hens (Barred Wyandotte, [/COLOR] Light Brahma, White Plymouth Rock, Austra White). For 7 days I had the new chicks in a crate outside the coop during the day so they would get used to the scent of each other. Bringing the girls into the flock seemed to go smoothly as the older girls chased the younger girls around a bit, but nothing savage or anything. Here we are more than a week later and I would not say that I have one flock. I have two flocks, coexisting. Although the younger girls tend to hide in the corner when the big girls come in the coop. The big girls sleep on the perch while the young girls sleep in the next box. I do have one who is brooding and she is a bit more aggressive with them.

Is this normal behavior? Will the eventually intermingle?

Thank you.

Yes, that is very normal. Sometimes it takes a couple of months to have one flock again.
Sounds like its going fine.

 

[ChickChick16]

thanks... im trying to do right by them for sure, being new to chickens ( as i have been terrified of birds my whole life ) they seem happy and want to be polite when im in there, the orpingtons haven't really warmed up to me yet, so i just sit and wait and just spend tiem in there with a small amount of scratch or mealworms in my hand.... 1 came close to taking soem from me yesterday , so i think my "time" is helping just being present in there.

 

[chickens really]

thanks... im trying to do right by them for sure, being new to chickens ( as i have been terrified of birds my whole life ) they seem happy and want to be polite when im in there, the orpingtons haven't really warmed up to me yet, so i just sit and wait and just spend tiem in there with a small amount of scratch or mealworms in my hand.... 1 came close to taking soem from me yesterday , so i think my "time" is helping just being present in there.

Have no worries.
They will be fine.
Enjoy your chickens...

 

[juliebd]

Thank you for the response, I just didn't know how long it would take for them to become one big happy family