Please help-flock trying to kill 9 week old chickens.

[Brooks_]

I usually shoot for 3½ - 4months depending on breed, or mix.

I aint got that kind of time. They need to work it out.

 

[ReneesRanch]

Hello. I hope someone can help because we are at wit's end.

About 8 weeks ago we bought two little chicks that are just beautiful. They will eventually lay brown eggs and we would honestly like to replace all of our leghorns with these. We have been trying to acclimate them into the 8 hen/2 rooster year-old flock by keeping them in a crate inside their pen. now for two weeks.

Every single time we let them out the WHOLE flock attacks them. I don't mean a little pecking order stuff, I mean absolute gang violence. Every single chicken and the two roosters start tearing them apart and eating their feathers. We barely have time to get them off of the two. Even after the two babies crumple up in a corner, they just keep trying to rip them apart.

They are ok now but I fear this will never be fixed. We have seen absolutely no improvement in their behavior towards them despite trying multiple times per day every single day.

I am not able to build additional fencing, etc right now and the thought of leaving them loose in there overnight and hoping they didn't get ripped apart before I got out there in the morning is unbearable.

So...we need to add to our flock (we need more eggs in the future!) and the best bet at this point seems to be to buy 9 more chicks and turn these 10 loose to free-range and fend for themselves.

Any advice? Thank you.

I was doing the same, introducing my slightly younger ones (6 weeks apart) in a cage and the older ones knocked the cage over and attacked one in particular. The other three were fine. Makes me wonder if this one is a rooster. It healed up great and I am back to putting a better cage in every day, all day. Two of the younger four are a larger breed so I was able to put them in the coop overnight. They won’t fight in the coop i was told. I get up extra early to let them out every am and those two are doing great. They get a peck here and there. I read Leghorns are very broody. Can you run just some chicken wire temporarily across a part of the run to keep them separate? I don’t think I’d integrate fully until they are much larger. I also picked up a used bunny hutch and put that in the coop to give the younger chicks a safe spot to roam in the coop all day. Maybe you can find a used one on FB marketplace or craigslist. Best of luck!!!

 

[21hens-incharge]

Hello. I hope someone can help because we are at wit's end.

About 8 weeks ago we bought two little chicks that are just beautiful. They will eventually lay brown eggs and we would honestly like to replace all of our leghorns with these. We have been trying to acclimate them into the 8 hen/2 rooster year-old flock by keeping them in a crate inside their pen. now for two weeks.

Every single time we let them out the WHOLE flock attacks them. I don't mean a little pecking order stuff, I mean absolute gang violence. Every single chicken and the two roosters start tearing them apart and eating their feathers. We barely have time to get them off of the two. Even after the two babies crumple up in a corner, they just keep trying to rip them apart.

They are ok now but I fear this will never be fixed. We have seen absolutely no improvement in their behavior towards them despite trying multiple times per day every single day.

I am not able to build additional fencing, etc right now and the thought of leaving them loose in there overnight and hoping they didn't get ripped apart before I got out there in the morning is unbearable.

So...we need to add to our flock (we need more eggs in the future!) and the best bet at this point seems to be to buy 9 more chicks and turn these 10 loose to free-range and fend for themselves.

Any advice? Thank you.

I merged flocks this summer. Even with the run divided so all birds could move freely in their space including right next to the dividing fence they still occasionally argue. I began integrating in late April/early May (I don't recall the exact date). I released them to share the entire space which has more than 20 square feet per bird in late June. We are now late August and still seeing occasional issues that need intervention. That means we are nearly 4 months into the process.
Each flock had 8 birds so it isn't quite the same as adding just 2. The fewer you add the rougher it can be.

That said integration takes a long time sometimes.

It's about space and resources.

Can you post pics of your set up so we can better help problem solve?

Oh and....If you truly don't want the original birds it's best to give them away to someone who does want them rather than releasing to fend for themselves. In most areas that is actually illegal.

 

[MysteryChicken]

I aint got that kind of time. They need to work it out.

I once made the mistake of introducing birds at about 5 weeks, several got injured, & one got cannibalized. So, not going that route again.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I was doing the same, introducing my slightly younger ones (6 weeks apart) in a cage and the older ones knocked the cage over and attacked one in particular. The other three were fine. Makes me wonder if this one is a rooster. It healed up great and I am back to putting a better cage in every day, all day. Two of the younger four are a larger breed so I was able to put them in the coop overnight. They won’t fight in the coop i was told. I get up extra early to let them out every am and those two are doing great. They get a peck here and there. I read Leghorns are very broody. Can you run just some chicken wire temporarily across a part of the run to keep them separate? I don’t think I’d integrate fully until they are much larger. I also picked up a used bunny hutch and put that in the coop to give the younger chicks a safe spot to roam in the coop all day. Maybe you can find a used one on FB marketplace or craigslist. Best of luck!!!

Leghorns are not known for being broody. They are bred to make eggs efficiently and broody birds are not making eggs.

 

[ReneesRanch]

Leghorns are not known for being broody. They are bred to make eggs efficiently and broody birds are not making eggs.

Really? I have read that on a few sites. Interesting. Thanks!

 

[ReneesRanch]

Really? I have read that on a few sites. Interesting. Thanks!

My Leghorn seems to be incredibly skittish. I am hoping that will change.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Hello. I hope someone can help because we are at wit's end.

About 8 weeks ago we bought two little chicks that are just beautiful. They will eventually lay brown eggs and we would honestly like to replace all of our leghorns with these. We have been trying to acclimate them into the 8 hen/2 rooster year-old flock by keeping them in a crate inside their pen. now for two weeks.

Every single time we let them out the WHOLE flock attacks them. I don't mean a little pecking order stuff, I mean absolute gang violence. Every single chicken and the two roosters start tearing them apart and eating their feathers. We barely have time to get them off of the two. Even after the two babies crumple up in a corner, they just keep trying to rip them apart.

They are ok now but I fear this will never be fixed. We have seen absolutely no improvement in their behavior towards them despite trying multiple times per day every single day.

I am not able to build additional fencing, etc right now and the thought of leaving them loose in there overnight and hoping they didn't get ripped apart before I got out there in the morning is unbearable.

So...we need to add to our flock (we need more eggs in the future!) and the best bet at this point seems to be to buy 9 more chicks and turn these 10 loose to free-range and fend for themselves.

Any advice? Thank you.

Are you sure you have enough room for them? My chickens never do anything to baby chicks.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Really? I have read that on a few sites. Interesting. Thanks!

Those sites are wrong. Check out Cackle hatchery and look at breed descriptions then check several more hatcheries. They will all list broodiness as seldom or rarely.

My Leghorn seems to be incredibly skittish. I am hoping that will change.

Some do but most leghorns are more skittish than say a buff orpinton or other heavier breeds.

 

[ReneesRanch]

Those sites are wrong. Check out Cackle hatchery and look at breed descriptions then check several more hatcheries. They will all list broodiness as seldom or rarely.


Some do but most leghorns are more skittish than say a buff orpinton or other heavier breeds.

I read a lot of different sites before choosing mine. Honestly my Barred Rock is the queen of the rooste right now and that surprised me. She is also very, very smart! my BuffOrp is just the sweetest. They all have their own personalities, its very cool. I have taught the oldest ones to come when I call them. Working on the ones that are a few weeks younger now.