Segragated Chickens?

[LilBiddy]

I have 8 chickens now...3 of which I believe are roos. I had 3 I raised from about 2-3 weeks old, they are now around 2months old. Two days ago I bought 5 to add to my 3. I watched them to see "what" if anything might change, be challenged or simply accepted. Well, they still keep to their "gangs"...my original 3 stick together and my new additions all stick together...They sleep separately too. My 3 ward off the new five at every turn. I believe one of my new five is a roo because the one I raised whom I think is a roo also keeps the other chickens, especially the new roo away from food, water and whatever else he feels like running them off from. My 3 flew up on me while I was squatted in the coop and they settled down and began preening....and that's another question all together. Is that an unwise thing to allow them to do? They frequently like to sit on my arm or knee. I know that sometimes the things we humans like and think is cute at the time can be a nightmare later...I don't know if it's a good idea or not to let them do that.

Any way...how long does it take for them to "re-work" the pecking order when new arrivals co-habitate what was singularly theirs?

 

[Enslaved-by-Ducks]

It will happen. Give it time. Chickens are very social birds and will adjust in a few months. There has to be a pecking order and usually the Rooster will be the Hiarchy of the flock. If there is no Rooster, a hen will step up and fill that role. You will know if you have a Rooster after he is fully grown and when he starts crowing in the morning....as young birds, it's hard to tell who is a roo. You will soon find out. It is very acceptable to let your birds love on you. You're very lucky that they allow you to hold them. This is very rare and completely ok to continue. I have three hens who will let me pick them up and will fall asleep in my lap.....oh life is good don't you think ?

 

[Wildflower_VA]

The best advice I ever read said when combining chicks/chickens, completely change around the living quarters. Chickens are confused by change, so if you move everything around close to bedtime, then put in the new chicks/chickens at night, they will not notice the new arrivals so much. They will be busy learning where everything is all over again.

 

[LilBiddy]

Thanks guys....I'm new to this chicken stuff. My husband is pretty much known around these parts as the horse whisperer as he is extremely gifted with horses but he has taken to calling me a chicken whisperer...LOL. Yeah right...I don't know squat. But I do spend a fair amount of time in a "squat" inside the pen with them. The one I call "Matilda" was the first to spy one of my knees jutting into the air and decided it might make a good place to sit. The other two soon followed. It surprised me but I thought it was sweet. With the new additions all 3 of my originals want to perch on my arms more frequently. I laughed to my husband saying, "I think they want to make sure the new arrivals get the message that I am theirs!" Who knows what they are thinking.

The reason I asked if letting them do it was alright is because of how my husband handles horses. He'll tell me, "People teach their horses things they really don't want them to learn by allowing them certain liberties because it's cute or they take it as a sign of affection. What they DON'T realize at the time is that horses will take what they have been taught and apply it in some other fashion that then becomes a "problem". One person thought it was cute to let a foal put his front feet on the man's shoulders...it later became a problem when he was about 1200 lbs...LOL.

This morning I noticed one of the new chickens was allowed to eat with my originals...and then a few others were allowed. I think they were just too hungry to worry about who was there...LOL