Pullet won't accept new (old) hens

[Chollister6]

Hello everyone!!!! I am brand new to BackYard Chickens and I really need some help. I got 5 baby chicks 27 weeks ago. Well I also have 2 year old twin boys so waiting for eggs was becoming hard. I decided to get some older hens to help get some eggs while waiting for my original 5 to be ready to lay. As I became more educated I now realize I have not seen any eggs from these chickens because they are too old to lay but never the less they are my chickens and I want them to be safe.

So I introduced them and let them have my entire 1/2 acre and things seemed to go ok. I moved the coop to throw off the pecking order. They never hurt the new girls but wouldn't accept them. When the original 5 were in the coop the other 2 were out and vice versa. But they would roost together.

One day we had what I thought was a hawk attack taking all of the tail feathers off one of the new girls. Now I'm thinking it was a chicken fight. I watched over them for a week or so they didnt seem to bother her much just the normal chasing. But I wanted to give her some space to heal so I put her and her friend in a coop inside the pin. So now I'm at a loss because they can't stay in this small coop forever. Also, I want more chickens in the spring. So what do I do? Thank you in advance.

 

[SueT]

Welcome to BYC!
Integrating new chickens is never easy. Setting up a temporary 'see-no-touch' situation helps. It may take months to make them a flock. They need a roomy enough coop to make it work. Good luck!

 

[Chollister6]

Welcome to BYC!
Integrating new chickens is never easy. Setting up a temporary 'see-no-touch' situation helps. It may take months to make them a flock. They need a roomy enough coop to make it work. Good luck!

I have them in a separate coop inside the same pin now. so they can see and not touch but it was months before the incident happened. Does it really take longer than that? everything I read says like 2 weeks. And when i get younger pullets added I don't want them to tear them apart.

 

[aart]

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.

This used to be a better search, new format has reduced it's efficacy, but still:
Read up on integration..... BYC advanced search>titles only>integration
This is good place to start reading, BUT some info is outdated IMO:
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock

 

[Chollister6]

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.

This used to be a better search, new format has reduced it's efficacy, but still:
Read up on integration..... BYC advanced search>titles only>integration
This is good place to start reading, BUT some info is outdated IMO:
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock

Thank you. I actually read this post in another thread and I truly believe I have met all of these. We have a 4X8ft coop and a 2X4ft coop both in a 25X35ft pin. Plenty of food and water in multiple stations we have lots of random things for them to hide behind and under including wood boards, a small Joshua Tree, random piles of wood. We have ladders and little things my husband has made for them to play on. I truly believe they have everything they could need or want. The 3 that are the worst are BSLs could those be aggressive by nature?

 

[SueT]

months before the incident happened. Does it really take longer than that?

I have 10 chickens in 3 age groups, each group a year apart, and none of them are friends with those in other groups. I don't currently have any bullies, so it is working out alright, but I am not expecting them to become one big happy family. Each group has their own roost in the coop, and the roosts are further divided to alleviate roost time squabbles.

 

[Mrs. K]

Are the pullets laying? Mine are always a sub flock until they lay, then they become one flock.

 

[Chollister6]

Are the pullets laying? Mine are always a sub flock until they lay, then they become one flock.

One is laying. One just started squatting and 2 are really red so it’s looking like 3 might be close