Integration Time

[merrymutts]

I have been trying to integrate my juvenile chickens into the existing flock.

The older birds keep bullying the juveniles and won't let them out of the coop into the pen to get feed and water.

It's going on the 3rd day and it's frustrating as I have never had this issue before. Should I just go ahead and re-open up the barrier that was separating the two groups or just cross my fingers and wait a couple more days ? I don't want the littles to be deprived of feed and water and the older ones don't seem to be giving ground during the day .

I will be getting some baby guinea keets tomorrow and had wanted them to stay inn the "baby pen" side until they are old enough to join in

 

[Mrs. K]

So what does your set up look like? This is often an issue with space, and how that space is set up. But sometimes birds are just heartless.

Another issue is territorial rights. The old girls are saying this is our space, and the younger ones know it is not their space, and hide out in the coop. Can you let the old girls out into a yard, and keep the young girls in the run, and feed along the fence line? That has helped me.

This allows the younger girls to explore the run without being chased.

Also set up multiple feed stations, some out of sight. So that when a bird is eating at one bowl, they cannot see a bird eating at another. Putting up 'walls' of cardboard, or totes on their sides, can offer hide out places.

Mrs K

 

[Ridgerunner]

I have been trying to integrate my juvenile chickens into the existing flock.

How old are they and (most important) how much room do you have in the run and in the coop? It sounds like you did the see-but-no-touch. How long did you do that for? The most important thing is room. A photo of your set-up might help.

With mine, until the pullets start to lay they tend to form a sub-flock. If they approach the adults they are probably going to be pecked so they quickly learn to avoid the adults. To avoid them they need enough room to run away and get away, and then to stay far enough away so they don't get chased. Do yours have that kind of room? It sounds like they have to stay in the coop to avoid the adults.

So what can you do? Give them as much room as you can. Adding to a run can be expensive and a challenge, usually not easy. Try improving the quality of what room you have by adding clutter. That means giving them places they can hide under, behind, or over without being trapped in a dead end. Break line-of-sight if you can. Provide multiple food and water stations. If you had food and water in the coop you would not be worried about them eating or drinking. Try to not force them to be in the same space but give them the option to stay away.

There may be something else going on but until we can determine that this sounds like a classic case of overcrowding during integration. I'll repeat myself. Until the pullets start to lay mine need enough room to avoid the adults. Once they start to lay they can join the pecking order and all of this stuff usually goes away.