Stubborn Hen Hates Newcomers

[onyx2011]

Alright, so I started raising chickens over a year ago, so im still a bit new at this. Im bad at summarizing things, so please stick with me!
About 2 months ago, a fox attacked my flock and killed all my chickens except 1 grumpy hen. She was alone for a couple days, then my aunt gave me a rooster that didnt "fit in". I soon came to find out that the rooster was demonic. He was gentlemanly enough to Oreo, but abused her whenever she approached humans, and he attacked me dozens of times, including my big lab that usually protected me. He made it so i couldnt even fill up water or food dishes, so i decided to help him cross the rainbow bridge. Throughout all of these losses, Oreo never stopped laying eggs. It was honestly bizarre. Two weeks ago, before i ended the evil rooster, i met a breeder who sold me 4 6 week old chicks, and then she asked if i wanted this 10 week old blue marans rooster. I said no, ive had my fill of roosters. She handed him over to me to hold and he instantly started chirping and melted my heart. I kept Earl and the other new chicks in the barn for a couple days, and Earl has been nothing but amazing. He loves to just sit in my lap and "chat"! So, we "got rid" of the evil rooster. Again, Oreo hasnt stopped laying, and she seems to enjoy the human attention.

Now, Ive been trying to integrate Earl with Oreo and Oreo has been nothing but a terror. I've tried to casually slip him on the roost while they both sleeping, but he started to chirp at me and she instantly woke up and started pecking him. I tried to free range them together, but she chases him away and then it gets difficult to wrangle them back to the coop. The run is over 200 square feet with lots of bush cover, so Earl can hide, but its extremely inconvenient having to go out and take him to his roost in the dog crate(which he hates). Am i just gonna have to wait until he gets big enough to defend himself for the two to roost together?

 

[sawilliams]

What you really need tofo is build him a seperate area or keep him in the crate in the run for a while a few days up to a few weeks. Give her a chance to get to know him. Right now all the stress she has experienced over hens might be better, but she won't be found of a young boy at all especially when he wants to start mating. Take this slow. Let him out a 1-2 hours in the evening to run around and see how she is reacting. You'll need to do the same with the chicks. At least this way the time till bed is limited and will make it easier to round them up if needed. Keep them seperate until things calm down.

 

[bobbi-j]

OK, let me see if I have this straight. You have an adult hen, a 12-week old cockerel and four 8-week old chicks. Why not put them all in with your adult at once? Give them plenty of hiding places - pallets against the run fence they can hide behind (open on both ends so no one gets trapped), a pallet on cement blocks so they can get under but she cant, things like that. Make sure there are multiple feeders and waterers so she can't prevent them from eating or drinking. My thinking is, she can't bully them all at once. Her behavior isn't abnormal. Chickens are quite territorial.

 

[aart]

I'd keep the cockerel with the chicks(all pullets?) in an adjacent pen(section off part of the run and provide weather shelter) and integrate them all together with the lone hen. You could also put the hen in the separate pen and let the chicks have the main run and coop.
Maybe swap them back and forth.

The hen may still give the cockerel a rough time until he's fully mature, unless he has prodigious charm.

Here's some tips on....
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.

 

[onyx2011]

Thanks for all the advice, everyone!

Tbh, I'm not sure if the ages I was told are entirely accurate. My chicks(yes, all pullets!) are still completing their fluff to feather transition. My mottled java still has some yellow on her head. I've been taking them outside occasionally and have noticed them shivering after a while (although this is Michigan, and they might just be surprised at the temperature difference). Earl is much larger than them, so Id be worried to put them all together in one pen. Though from what I understand, marans are a larger breed, right?

I'll restrict Earl to the dog crate for now so that the two can get used to each other without violence!

 

[onyx2011]

heres a size comparison of Earl and the chicks!

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

What a nice looking flock! Good luck with the integration. Things will settle in time.

 

[sawilliams]

Though it's difficult to tell i would agree the ages are off. He looks like he could be 14-18 weeks and the chicks look closer to 4-6 weeks. Uppit chicks compared to him look much smaller then my 9-10 week chicks. Though on the part of the seller honestly it can be difficult to recall exact ages with multiple hatches. I have to record my hatch dates and count the weeks every time I try to think about it.

Just a thought though becuase he will be ready to mate before they are ready and you only have the 1 stubborn hen it might be wise to at least consider keeping him separate until the chicks are moved in and at least 1 or more starts to lay. This way he doesn't start trying to mate chicks much smaller and far too young for him while he is still learning what to do also

 

[aart]

Though it's difficult to tell i would agree the ages are off. He looks like he could be 14-18 weeks and the chicks look closer to 4-6 weeks.

Agrees.

 

[onyx2011]

How can i go about separating the 4 pullets from Earl? Any advice on temporary run building? My family goes the whole 9 yards, burying the wire and putting posts in concrete... Maybe draping chicken wire to make a right triangle in one of the corners as a temporary enclosure?? I dont think a dog crate would be very humane for 4 pullets. Thanks again for all the help, and for confirming my doubts about Earl's age!