Whats a good age to put my cochin pullets......

[LindsaySinai]

in with the one year old easter eggers?

 

[StarLover21]

Some say around 12 weeks. I have extremally territorial older hens, and I would say around 18-20 weeks. How big are they? They shoud be big enough to stand up for themselves before you put them in there. I'm still working on intergrating my 28 week leghorn and two 18 week black stars and it's going horrible

 

[LindsaySinai]

They're 18 weeks. I have a black one thats bigger then the EE's so they don't bother her but my white ones a hair smaller and they harass her. My EE's are pretty brutal so I'm a little worried. I tried putting some 14 week mutts in with them a few months back and came out the next morning and they had mutilated one of the pullets rumps. The younger ones always hide their heads in the corners and then the EE's peck their tails and rumps til they're bloody. I know you're supposed to give them places to hide but the run isn't that big(the runs 6x4 with a house on top) and I'm worried if I give them someplace then the EE's will just peck at whatever they can get to anyway.

 

[StarLover21]

Wow, sounds like your in the same situation as I am! Good luck!

I've heard if you lock the bullys, the EE, in some sort of cage for about a week, and let the cochins have free roam, that that's supposed to help.

 

[LindsaySinai]

SO....I just tried removing the mean EE and putting the other 3 birds in there together. The 3 are getting along pretty good and the mean one is running around the run trying to get in. I'm thinking about putting her in the pullet run by herself for a few days and then putting her back in so she'll be the new one and brought down a couple notches. Maybe it'll work???