Why won't my bigs be nice to my littles ?

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jeningilroy

jeningilroy

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I have 4 big hens, 6 months old and two littler ones, 4 months old. They all live together now in the coop and in the run. But every day I see a big bullie one of the littles. The Americauna sticks up for herself most of the time but the RIR, is so scared all the time. I love them all, but when or will they ever be one happy group or will it always be two groups?
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Hello!
400

Welcome to BYC and the coop! There's a lot of great peeps here! Feel free to ask lots of questions. But most of all, make yourself at home. I'm so glad you decided to joined the BYC family. I look forward to seeing you around BYC. We're they always raised together? Or were the put together recently? Are they stressed?
 
IMO they are likely to remain in two groups until the younger ones are fully mature. Having multiple feeding stations and areas where the smaller girls can escape the attentions of the bullies would likely help.

Good luck

Ct
 
You might want to put the bully in a time out crate for a couple days - with food & water of course. With bully out of the group the others may get along fairly well. See how it goes.
 
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How long have your bigs and littles been together? As much as we'd like all our birds to be one big happy family, that takes time as they work out a pecking order...someone is going to be on top, someone on the bottom with the rest falling in the middle. Make sure no blood is being shed and have places where the littles can get away from the bigger ones (plus the multiple feeders & waterers CTKen suggested) will help.

Good luck, it's nice to have you here!
 
They were integrated successfully, I mean very slowly and inside the coop with a barrier, etc. they free range together but there's on big, the barred ricksha always chased them back inside the run. I wish they would all hang together:(. They roost separately too. The littles try to hang with the bigs but the one of the bigs is always scolding a little. It's a bummer. I see my RIR always scurrying away from them. I'm hoping when she's their size she'll stand up to them.

My question is will the bigs ever stop?
 
They've been together for about 2 months now. Started with four and added two. The bigs, all of them, pick on the littles. The littles are always running away from them. The bigs don't go after them but if the little are around them they'll scold them. Will they ever all get a long?
 
It took mine about six months before it leveled out. I had two older and three newer ones. They all started plucked at the feathers around one of the smallest comb. Even her sisters she was raised with. I guess she was the omega of the flock. Everyone nicknamed her Friar Tuck, because of her baldness. Then all at once, she got tired of it and stopped being passive. She now has a full head of feathers. I wish you luck. Just have hope that as long as no blood is drawn, it'll probably work it's out.
 
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Six months? Wow...yeah I'm hoping once the two littles get big enough they will stand up to the others. They're constantly being run out of places. Thanks for your response.
 

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