HELP!! Chicken bullying!

[Fee1inclucky]

Hi,

I’m fairly new to chicken keeping and had three bantams (Silkie, goldtop and Wyandotte) that were getting on really well. Now they are at POL I decided to add two more POL bantams (polish and millefleur). I have tried to do it gradually by keeping the existing chickens in a cage next to the usual run and letting the two newbies have free range of the run for a couple of days. I then let them mingle for an hour at dusk before sleeping them separately. Last night they actually all slept all together fine.

HOWEVER, during the day my three existing chickens will not stop picking on my millefleur. They literally chase her around the run in circles and she ends up hiding under the feeder. The Polish is very docile (almost too much) and just stands there doing nothing. She gets a little bit pecked but generally they aren’t bothered with her.

The existing chickens all bully my Millefleur equally but I tried removing the Goldtop who I thought was head hen. Then the Silkie just got worse. To be honest I’m not even sure who is head henI have now taken two of them out now but she still gets picked on by the remaining one.

I can’t see any injuries on her or sickness, she’s just smaller than the rest.

What should I do???? Finding it difficult as there is no clear individual bully-they’re all mean to her. I know there’s the pecking order but they seem to chase who just for moving!

TIA

 

[aart]

I have tried to do it gradually by keeping the existing chickens in a cage next to the usual run and letting the two newbies have free range of the run for a couple of days.

A couple days is not usually enough.

Here's some tips about.....
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.

Good ideas for hiding places:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

 

[Fee1inclucky]

Thank you. Lots of food for thought. Will add some more feeding stations and higher roosts to see if that helps-as well as separating them for longer