Pecking Order

[Henriettamom919]

I was a hot mess when my older girls went through their first pecking order. They were my first, a little flock of 2 barred rocks and 1 Buff Orp. The BO is naturally very sweet and docile and once they hit about six months old one of my BR started going after her. She lost some feathers in the process and I was constantly trying to intervene; this is how I came to find BYC!
Thanks to all these wonderful folks I learned to back off and now you'd never know they ever had an issue!

 

[pilotgirl2809]

Yea, that sounds like normal pecking order establishment to me. It can take several weeks for everyone to know where they stand in the hierarchy. As long as no one gets hurt that is the big thing. Multiple feeders and water stations is a good idea.

Sounds like you have done your part, now they just need to to do theirs. Pecking order rituals can be frightening for a new or first time merging two flocks chicken owner.

I have done it so many times now that it no longer phases me. I really only intervene if there is aggressive pecking or if someone gets hurt. For the most part after the first few weeks everyone settles down and comes to an understanding.

How do you know if you need to intervene? We just got 3 new hens (about 14 weeks old) and are trying to integrate with our one remaining older hen (about 1 year, 2 months old). The older hen is aggressively going after one of the new hens and pecking at her, scaring all three new hens. Last year we had a problem and one of our new hens (who ended up dying) was pecked so badly she walked with a limp for the rest of her life. We don't want a repeat. I've kept them separated (but in sight) until I can figure out what to do.

 

[aart]

How do you know if you need to intervene? We just got 3 new hens (about 14 weeks old) and are trying to integrate with our one remaining older hen (about 1 year, 2 months old). The older hen is aggressively going after one of the new hens and pecking at her, scaring all three new hens. Last year we had a problem and one of our new hens (who ended up dying) was pecked so badly she walked with a limp for the rest of her life. We don't want a repeat. I've kept them separated (but in sight) until I can figure out what to do.

Here's some tips about....
Integration Basics:

It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
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.

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

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 copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, 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'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.

 

[Ridgerunner]

How do you know if you need to intervene?

Good question. You have to use your judgment. If the hen pins one down and starts pecking, especially around the head, intervene immediately. If the hen goes out of her way to attack the new ones, they are not ready. If the hen only pecks at them when they invade her personal space you are probably doing OK. The more room they have usually the better. With as few chickens as you are talking about I'm concerned space may be an issue.

You have two things that complicate it, the lone hen and the different levels of maturity. Chickens are social animals, they like to be with other chickens. So she may want to be with the new ones. But until the pullets mature enough to force their way into the pecking order, the mature hen outranks them. Sometimes the mature hen will peck at immature chickens when her personal space is violated, even if she is the one that causes the violation by wanting to be close to them.

It could work out fine, it often does even at those ages. But having just one lone chicken, either more mature or less mature, adds another layer of complexity. So try it, but do it when you can be around to observe.

Good luck!