Please help me

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I start integrating as soon as chicks are off heat, at about 3 to 4 weeks of age. I have a grow-out coop/run for them to live in while they get used to the adults and the adults get used to them. After 2 weeks, I open the grow-out run to the main run just a bit, so the chicks can run back and forth, but the adults can't get into the grow-out coop/run. By 6 to 8 weeks of age, they are too big for the grow-out coop/run and start sleeping in the main coop all on their own. The key is to make sure there is ample room for all, so that nobody feels the need to be territorial. It's pretty easy when the chicks are young enough to not be seen as threats to the pecking order.
Your 12 week olds are old enough to be seen as a threat to the pecking order, so it's going to take a while for them to integrate. And you have to let the adults do their pecking and chasing. It's not called pecking order for nothing. It looks rough, but as long as your coop and run are large enough for them to escape the dominant hen, you just have to let it happen. They are big enough that your hen can't do serious damage. Space, multiple food and water stations, and breaking up sightlines will go a long way in reducing territorial aggression.
 
Farmer Connie said:
funny how they can be so cute one minute and brutal the next.
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I have them inside the coop with the gates up or glass door shut (They have windows too) they can see out but I only let them out when I'm positive the big girls laid their eggs for the day so i can shut the gate. I'll try introducing in the am and waiting it out to see what happens but I definitely won't be going back to sleep until I'm sure are okay and I don't need to separate again
 
junebuggena said:
I start integrating as soon as chicks are off heat, at about 3 to 4 weeks of age. I have a grow-out coop/run for them to live in while they get used to the adults and the adults get used to them. After 2 weeks, I open the grow-out run to the main run just a bit, so the chicks can run back and forth, but the adults can't get into the grow-out coop/run. By 6 to 8 weeks of age, they are too big for the grow-out coop/run and start sleeping in the main coop all on their own. The key is to make sure there is ample room for all, so that nobody feels the need to be territorial. It's pretty easy when the chicks are young enough to not be seen as threats to the pecking order.
Your 12 week olds are old enough to be seen as a threat to the pecking order, so it's going to take a while for them to integrate. And you have to let the adults do their pecking and chasing. It's not called pecking order for nothing. It looks rough, but as long as your coop and run are large enough for them to escape the dominant hen, you just have to let it happen. They are big enough that your hen can't do serious damage. Space, multiple food and water stations, and breaking up sightlines will go a long way in reducing territorial aggression.
Click to expand...
I have 2 water buckets with the nipples in there and the small girls have their own food and the big girls have theirs. I honestly thought she was going to kill them and I wasn't going to let that happen. She ran at them and it looked like she was going to pin them down. They are very timid still
 
What about the 12 week olds and the new babies ? Should I try to introduce them when the new ones are older and introduce all 5 to the pre existing flock together ?
 
jess19864 said:
I have 2 water buckets with the nipples in there and the small girls have their own food and the big girls have theirs. I honestly thought she was going to kill them and I wasn't going to let that happen. She ran at them and it looked like she was going to pin them down. They are very timid still
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Multiple food and water stations, meaning each is placed as far from the others as possible so that it's impossible for the dominant bird to block them all at once. And Faverolle and Easter Eggers do tend to be more timid birds. Black sexlinks are a cross of two very dominant breeds (Barred Rocks and Production Red). Your younger ones are always going to be towards the bottom of the order, and your sexlinks are always going to be in charge. Just the way chickens are. I know it's upsetting to see, but it's the natural way of chickens. By the time your babies are old enough to move out, your 12 week olds will be about 16 weeks old. Not a good idea. May take one or two of your more submissive adults and put them in with your 12 week olds for a couple weeks and then try introducing to the main flock again.
 
junebuggena said:
Multiple food and water stations, meaning each is placed as far from the others as possible so that it's impossible for the dominant bird to block them all at once. And Faverolle and Easter Eggers do tend to be more timid birds. Black sexlinks are a cross of two very dominant breeds (Barred Rocks and Production Red). Your younger ones are always going to be towards the bottom of the order, and your sexlinks are always going to be in charge. Just the way chickens are. I know it's upsetting to see, but it's the natural way of chickens. By the time your babies are old enough to move out, your 12 week olds will be about 16 weeks old. Not a good idea. May take one or two of your more submissive adults and put them in with your 12 week olds for a couple weeks and then try introducing to the main flock again.
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I'm just not used to that much aggression . The reds we somewhat aggressive towards the blacks but nothing quite as bad as this. I will experiment this weekendI suppose and see who will and will not attack my babies. I definately don't want to give up on my beautiful little babies
 

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junebuggena said:
A picture is worth a thousand words...
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I am not home to take a picture of my coop at this time but the building part is like a small barn that has a dog door that leads out to the fenced in run. I live in the middle of nowhere and they even get to run all day long. It easily fits the 8 girls I have and could fit many more. Used to house alot as I said. The 8 choose not to go in there for whatever reason. The blacks started sleeping on the outside roosts and the reds followed. The blacks love the outside period. They try every night to sleep on top of the coop or in the pine tree but I always put them back inside for their own safety
 

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