Hen Won't let Oldee Chicks in Coop

[Fapete]

I had broody hen and decided to take advantage of it by getting some fertilized eggs. She was a great momma and had her own mini coop to raise them. At 4 1/2 weeks she joined her old flock and the chicks slept in the "nursery coop." A couple months later she went broody again so I got her more eggs and kicked the chicks out of the nursery.

I had two Rhode Island Reds that were awesome egg layers and friendly to me, but very aggressive with the other chickens. They even killed and cannabilised another chicken last winter and almost did the same to another. I decided to give them to a coworker who has free range chickens and roosters thinking they'd be better as "big fish in a big pond." And they've been doing great in their new environment, quickly (and violently) making their way to the top of the pecking order.

So momma is in her nursery with her eggs, and the remaining hen, who was definitely the bottom of the pecking order before, now attacks my two 3 months old chicks when they go in the coop. As a result they won't go in and instead sleep outside.

The main coop is HUGE for the number or chickens I have. I don't have a problem with predators and it's still warm, but our winters are brutal and I have to get them in coop. Anyone have any suggestions?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

How did you introduce the 3-month olds into the flock? Did you just stick them in there and hope for the best? Was there any preliminary intro?

 

[Mrs. K]

They will be fine and will work there way in there. It may take a couple of weeks.

 

[Fapete]

How did you introduce the 3-month olds into the flock? Did you just stick them in there and hope for the best? Was there any preliminary intro?

They were around each other since they hatched. They had their own separate enclosure in the run. The chicks were small enough to get into the main run, but the older ones couldn't get into theirs. The older ones mainly ignored them when they were smaller. When momma rejoined the flock I just left their enclosure open.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Hi, welcome to the forum! Glad you joined!

The main coop is HUGE for the number or chickens I have.

How big, in feet or meters, is that coop? How much room do you have outside in the run? Could you possibly post photos of it, one showing the outside and one or two inside to show how it is laid out. Integration often takes more room than a flock needs that is already integrated. If we can see what you are working with we may see something that can help you.

Your flock is in flux. You just got rid of two so the pecking order is blown up. One of your remaining two is broody so that one hen is on her own. How many chicks do you have? Are any boys? At 3 months they could be starting puberty.

With my flock the pullets tend to avoid the hens until they are about ready to lay. If they invade the personal space of the hens they are likely to get pecked so they quickly learn to avoid them. They need room to avoid. The hens do not go out of their way to attack the pullets as long as a distance is maintained.

They were around each other since they hatched. They had their own separate enclosure in the run. The chicks were small enough to get into the main run, but the older ones couldn't get into theirs. The older ones mainly ignored them when they were smaller. When momma rejoined the flock I just left their enclosure open.

Good information. Thanks.

If the chicks can sleep in a safe place out of the coop and no one is getting injured I would not worry about it too much. Let them keep going as they are for a while. Things could easily stabilize.

If she is injuring some I'd want to isolate them from each other for a while. Give her time to settle down from all of the disruption. If she is only attacking boys I'd consider getting rid of the boys if your goals don't include keeping one or more.

A final question if you have boys. What do you want to happen with them at the end of the day?

 

[Fapete]

The coop is 24 sq ft for the 3 of them. And the run is about 300. A little over half the year they have the full yard, but my garden is almost ready to harvest so they stay in run right now.

One is definitely a a cockerel. I was certain the other wasn't but now I'm not so sure. And the hen seems to go out of her way to bully them.

I know quiet a bit of people who have taken roosters from me in the past who live outside the city with free range chickens. Once mature I will see if anyone need another rooster. Unfortunately, most of them had to many roosters and thinned their flocks this summer. My last rooster I ended up butchering cause no one wanted any more roosters.

 

[igorsMistress]

If the hen that is attacking the babies was bottom of pecking order, well in my experience those girls are often the first to go after newbies to the flock. She potentially sees them as a threat to her position and she wants to be above them in the order. As long as blood isn’t drawn I’d let them work it out.

 

[Fapete]

If the hen that is attacking the babies was bottom of pecking order, well in my experience those girls are often the first to go after newbies to the flock. She potentially sees them as a threat to her position and she wants to be above them in the order. As long as blood isn’t drawn I’d let them work it out.

She definitely went after the newbies well before the others. The other chickens did so much damage when she was about 4 months I had to bring her in the house for 2 weeks to recover. I'll let them work it out. Thanks!