Segragation in my flock

[831chickens]

We recently added 10 10 week old teenagers( all ladies) to our existing flock of 1 banty roo, 1 year old leghorn, and 1 year old tiny banty hen. Anytime over the past week the banty hen runs the teenagers out of the coop and will not let them to the food and water!! She is half the size of the new girls but runs them like she is the boss. Its gets cold here at night....about 0f....and I am worried that without us putting the ladies back in coop and shutting the run door that they will be forced out at night. Any advice? We have a second flock that has intergrated no problem

 

[centrarchid]

Confine adult hens away from coop for a couple days. Rooster will bond with younger birds. Then release hens to rejoin rooster. Hens will no longer have home court advantage.

 

[831chickens]

Thanks!! We tried that at first and worked for about an hour. Next move maybe we may take the banty hen out and swap her to the other flock.

 

[centrarchid]

I do not think you did as I suggested. Outcome you indicate is not consistent with how combining groups works. Desribe with a little detail what you did.

 

[831chickens]

I do not think you did as I suggested.  Outcome you indicate is not consistent with how combining groups works.       Desribe with a little detail what you did.

 

[831chickens]

we kept our hens separated for 4 days and left the new ladies with the rooster. After loving them back together they manage to do okay for a few hours and then right back to the bad the hand running the new ladies completely out of the coop. Does not let them eat or drink as soon as we enter the coop the Bantu hen goes to the outside run and all of the babies lock for the water in food

 

[centrarchid]

OK. Problem is 10-week old juveniles too young to hold their own against mature hens. In my settings with mature standard size roosters, once rooster bonds with junveniles he is able to suppress aggression by hens not of his group. Weak link you also have is rooster,


Two additional tricks can be employed. First to to separate dominant hens not only from rest of flock but also each other for a couple of days. Upon re-introduction hens will have to settle rank issues among themselves and will be less likely to work against juveniles. Additionally change way things in coop look so no body feels at home, especially the hens. In the end hens will still pick at juveniles but should be tolerable.


I do what you are trying about 5 times each year although I usually do not involve hens. Hens are easily more difficult than juveniles or roosters when combining flocks involving juveniles. Rooster benefits from new additions but hens do not as they compete with chicks they might have later.

 

[831chickens]

We Have integrated a couple of fllocks ourselves if we have never had these issues. It's just the 1 bantam hen that seems to be the problem.... and she is half the size of the new ladies!!!!

 

[luvmyEs]

If it is just the banty being a problem, I would swap her to the other flock.