Please help me

[jess19864]

I am trying my hardest to introduce new chickens to my flock. I will eventually be introducing 5 into the 8 I already have. I have 6 black sex links and 2 rhodies. I'm very afraid that they are not going to be accepting of my new babies. I started with the rhodies and added the blacks it was a pretty smooth transition I let them free roam together and put themselves to bed . For a week or so they segregated but eventually started roosting together.The blacks seem to be more aggressive towards my new americauna and salmon faverolle then I would like .those 2 are 12 weeks old I have them separated on the inside of the coop because the older chickens never use that. Their food is in the outside part and they sleep on the outside roosts never touch the inside. I put the babies inside with baby gates so they can be seen but not touched . They are still only midsized and do not sound like adults. One of the blacks in particular is showing signs of aggression towards the newcomers. I also have 3 1 week old peeps that are living in my house currently . I'm hoping in about 4 to 6 weeks when they start to fill out to start keeping them outside in the area I have the 2 12 week olds. I want my 12 weeks to be good with the adults by then so I can try it with these babies as well. Any suggestions at all would be great. Like I said at the beginning I brought the 6 blacks in and they were docile and eventually integrated themselves into the reds but they are seeming to be less accepting of the newcomers than I would like

 

[pwiker]

My method is to wait till chicks are 6 - 8 weeks old. Then, one night I take them up in the dark and put them on the roost with the adult chickens. When light comes in the morning, the older chickens are not 'surprised' by a new addition, they gradually get to see that they are there. Yes, there is some aggression at first, but I provide a small place for the chicks to run to where the full size chickens can't go. Chicks are fast and the adults don't really get ahold of them to well. They all learn their pecking order and no body dies.
However, I don't do show birds, so a few missing feathers is no big deal.

 

[Alicat4244]

What is the age difference? When I added to my flock (first I quarantined a while to Make sure of no sickness) then I put the new ones where all my originals could see them but they were still separated . I did this because of the age difference. My original flock could have severely hurt my new ones they didn't like the new girls at all at first. The body language of my original girls started getting better and then they got to where they'd just walk right pass and pay them no mind . Then I let my new girls out to free range with the others and it was smooth as silk . It takes longer that way but no one got hurt.

 

[jess19864]

I opened the gate to see what would happen with me in there of course and that black girl came charging at those babies to attack them. I grabbed her and booted her outside but she came right back for more. They are back locked behind the gate. Really makes no sense to me because when I first introduced them they followed the big girls around no problems.

 

[jess19864]

What is the age difference? When I added to my flock (first I quarantined a while to Make sure of no sickness) then I put the new ones where all my originals could see them but they were still separated . I did this because of the age difference. My original flock could have severely hurt my new ones they didn't like the new girls at all at first. The body language of my original girls started getting better and then they got to where they'd just walk right pass and pay them no mind . Then I let my new girls out to free range with the others and it was smooth as silk . It takes longer that way but no one got hurt.

 

[jess19864]

12 weeks and the full grown blacks are about a year the rhodies two or three

 

[jess19864]

My method is to wait till chicks are 6 - 8 weeks old. Then, one night I take them up in the dark and put them on the roost with the adult chickens. When light comes in the morning, the older chickens are not 'surprised' by a new addition, they gradually get to see that they are there. Yes, there is some aggression at first, but I provide a small place for the chicks to run to where the full size chickens can't go. Chicks are fast and the adults don't really get ahold of them to well. They all learn their pecking order and no body dies.
However, I don't do show birds, so a few missing feathers is no big deal.

What kind of small place? I keep them locked in a separate part of the coop. The favorolle hid under the coop to get away (it's on blocks and has bedding that was kicked around from the big girls

 

[Lazy Farmer]

Personally, I only introduce same size to population.

 

[jess19864]

Personally, I only introduce same size to population.

Yeah I believe my blacks were still young. Younger than these 12 week olds . They pretty much got accepted no problem. I was scared how aggressive the blacks were towards these new girks

 

[Lazy Farmer]

Yeah I believe my blacks were still young. Younger than these 12 week olds . They pretty much got accepted no problem. I was scared how aggressive the blacks were towards these new girks

funny how they can be so cute one minute and brutal the next.