Rehoming chickens

[Nicci0110]

When problems occur inter mixing 2 different flocks. Dividing the coop with a wall/partition or having a 2nd coop helps a lot.

I have her separated and inside. I cleans her with wound wash saline. Added antibiotic and hen healer. I've fed her some tuna and scrambled egg. She's eaten very little and will drink when I present it to her about 3 sips at a time.

 

[Nicci0110]

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You need some stuff to break up the line of sight. You (chickens) can see all around the run by standing in one spot. Need to make that not possible. The littles will be able to hide and run away better if they can run around things or under things that break up the line of sight. But no dead ends. So like an ally. A couple pallets leaned up against the walls of the run with old feedbags zip tied across the flat surface so they can't see through the pallet. Or old garden gates or something, with old feedbags zip tied to block the line of sight through the gate. Old boards/plywood, leaned against the walls, so it's like a tunnel, with free access on both ends.

ETA: this will help the littles "hide" and not offend the bigger ones with their presence

Also add another feeder and waterer station (I only see one set in the run). That way the big chickens can't prevent the littles from getting fed/watered, and if you can break the line of sight between the two sets of feeders/waterers, and put them on basically opposite ends of the run, that would be perfect.

have 2 feeder and 2 waterers. Uou just cannot see them. They have a water system on the wall plus the ground waterer and multiple pvc pipe feeders as well as a ground feeder.

 

[Nicci0110]

You need some stuff to break up the line of sight. You (chickens) can see all around the run by standing in one spot. Need to make that not possible. The littles will be able to hide and run away better if they can run around things or under things that break up the line of sight. But no dead ends. So like an ally. A couple pallets leaned up against the walls of the run with old feedbags zip tied across the flat surface so they can't see through the pallet. Or old garden gates or something, with old feedbags zip tied to block the line of sight through the gate. Old boards/plywood, leaned against the walls, so it's like a tunnel, with free access on both ends.

ETA: this will help the littles "hide" and not offend the bigger ones with their presence

Also add another feeder and waterer station (I only see one set in the run). That way the big chickens can't prevent the littles from getting fed/watered, and if you can break the line of sight between the two sets of feeders/waterers, and put them on basically opposite ends of the run, that would be perfect.

I may try adding more stuff to help that. For today the big ones are locked in their run and the littles are free ranging.

 

[rosemarythyme]

If you do decide to rehome the older ones, I would send the lowest in pecking order pullet as well - lower ranked birds are often the most vicious to new young additions because they don't want to fall even further in the pecking order, so if any bird was responsible for the scalping, that's actually your most likely culprit.

 

[Tonyroo]

If your chick has a hard time eating, give her a raw egg yolk no whites. Place it in a small dish and put it up to her beak. She will drink it up once she gets a taste of it.

 

[Tonyroo]

You will have a peaceful flock when you get rid of all the vicious chickens or keep them separated.

 

[BDutch]

I have 6 rhode island red chickens. 3 are mixed with something else. They are 18 weeks. They have been bullying my smaller chicks and I have been working on integration for a month now. Everything had calmed down. Yesterday one of my 8 week Olds was scalped. She's doing ok. I'm considering rehoming all of the rir to a farmer across the road. I want to keep one of the them and the rooster. She is lowest in pecking order. Do you think she can adjust and calm down with them since she will be highest in pecking order? I'm torn up about this and have worried myself sick but I cannot think of a better situation for my others to prevent more injuries and the older ones would have an excellent home. But what do you think about keeping the one? I have tried look don't touch, extended my run, and separated food and water. Everytime I think its calming down something bad happens. Also they feee range all day everyday from 9am to 7 at night.im not close the ones I am wanting to rehome but feel so guilty. I'm all they've ever known.

No time to read the whole thread, but I think it’s not a good idea to keep a much larger rooster with much smaller hens in a closed run.
IMO you need more space and more hens of his own size or divide and have a second coop/run for the RIR.

 

[aart]

Despite more clutter in run and them being able to free range,
that space is way too small for 13 birds, let alone integration.

 

[Nicci0110]

I have decided to keep them. I'm going to do supervised visits each night determine who the bully is separate for a day or two and try to get through it until my smaller birds catch up in growth. I am. Not sure how my run is too small as they don't live in it. I will also try the clutter. I couldn't bring myself to have them leave like that. My husband said he will build them a separate coop if necessary. I appreciate everyone's help and I'll update too

 

[aart]

Not sure how my run is too small as they don't live in it.

It's not too bad, the coop looks 'worse'.
They spend enough time in the run and sleep in the coop,
roost time is the most contentious part of the chickens day,
to cause crowding stress.

That stress does not just go away once they are ranging.
What are the dimensions, in feet by feet, in the coop and the run?