The dreaded Transition.

[Debora Howe]

So I have had my chicks in my dinning room in a pack and play till the weather got nicer and they were old enough and had their feathers to go to the barn to join and meet my big girls. It has been a nightmare already. I put the little girls in a dog create to put in the middle of the coop, but felt bad because I did not think it was big enough. there are 8 off them and I have 6 big chicks that are 1 year old, so I rigged up a pen using the dog create and some potato create and put chicken wire in between the two to give them more room to roam. So after two days I thought it would be ok to let the little girls out, they are 8 weeks. Boy was I wrong, the big girls chased them and pecked at them and one of the little guys flew out the coop door to the outside coop the big ones ran after him and chased him into a corner, I rescued him and tried to get him into the barn and I did and forgot to close the big coop door to the barn and all the big chicks went to the inside coop and out to the inside of the barn and started chasing him around the barn, they are fast those little ones I thought I was going to have a heart attack before I CAUGHT HIM AND FINALLY PUT HIM BACK IN WITH THE LITTLE CHICKS. What the heck do I do? HELPPPPPPPPP!

 

[aart]

Yeah, 2 days is not enough.
Leave the new 8wo chicks in the separate pen for at least a couple weeks.

Pics of your setup might help us help you fine tune things.

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

 

[Ridgerunner]

I can't get a feel for what your facilities look like. Photos, size in feet, and maybe a better description can help tell us what you have to work with.

I'm not sure what is going on. Often integration problems are caused by a lack of space. It takes a lot more room to integrate than for them to live together once integration is over. That extra space is not so much about square feet per chicken as the quality of that room. Photos can help us.

It's fairly normal for mature chickens to attack immature chicks when they are in close proximity but it's not that normal for them to continue chasing with an intent to destroy once the chick gets away. Often when something like that happens there is one instigator and the rest follow. So maybe next time you might be able to identify the one if that is what is happening.

Aart's list is good in theory but you have to apply that to your circumstances. Once we learn a little more about your circumstances maybe we can help you with that.

 

[Debora Howe]

Yeah, 2 days is not enough.
Leave the new 8wo chicks in the separate pen for at least a couple weeks.

Pics of your setup might help us help you fine tune things.

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

I can't get a feel for what your facilities look like. Photos, size in feet, and maybe a better description can help tell us what you have to work with.

I'm not sure what is going on. Often integration problems are caused by a lack of space. It takes a lot more room to integrate than for them to live together once integration is over. That extra space is not so much about square feet per chicken as the quality of that room. Photos can help us.

It's fairly normal for mature chickens to attack immature chicks when they are in close proximity but it's not that normal for them to continue chasing with an intent to destroy once the chick gets away. Often when something like that happens there is one instigator and the rest follow. So maybe next time you might be able to identify the one if that is what is happening.

Aart's list is good in theory but you have to apply that to your circumstances. Once we learn a little more about your circumstances maybe we can help you with that.

 

[Debora Howe]

The big coop itself is 10x10 and the big ones are in that roaming around in there, the little ones are in that fenced off area which is about 3 feet high and about 5 foot long.

 

[CJsCoop]

I put mine in separate runs that share a fence on one side. After a week I let them free range (supervised) together in the afternoons. Once the young ones grow to a similar size as the others, I stick them on the roost in the main coop after dark one night.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Thanks Debora, that helps. From your earlier post and those photos I think you created a coop out of a stall in a barn. That's a great use of space.

Are the six bigs locked in that 10 x 10 all the time or do they have access to roam out of it, either in a run outside, free range outside, or in the rest of the barn? If they are stuck in that 10 x 10 all the time I think that is a big part of your problem. If they do have more than that can you please explain what it is and when it is available.

 

[gator75]

A 1 yr old isn't a big chick, it's a full grown hen! Lol

 

[Debora Howe]

A 1 yr old isn't a big chick, it's a full grown hen! Lol

Sorry I still think of them as my babies

 

[Debora Howe]

Thanks Debora, that helps. From your earlier post and those photos I think you created a coop out of a stall in a barn. That's a great use of space.

Are the six bigs locked in that 10 x 10 all the time or do they have access to roam out of it, either in a run outside, free range outside, or in the rest of the barn? If they are stuck in that 10 x 10 all the time I think that is a big part of your problem. If they do have more than that can you please explain what it is and when it is available.

They are in the 10x10 only at night and when it is bad weather, they have a 20x20 out door run as well and when it is bad I do let them roam around the barn which is 100x45.