Chucks fighting

My two types(and ages) of chucks are fighting alot when I let them out together.

There are the crested cream leg bars that are about 28 weeks old And the ex-bats so are about 1 year old. It's more the ex-bats that start things.

I'm assuming there just doing it for dominance but I'm really need to get them all living together.
Should I just leave them to it but keep an eye on them just incase of injury or keep them seperate? (which isn't ideal).
Am I makeing things wors by them being in seperate enclosures??
Should they be in together to get all this out of the way?

Any advice would be appreciated

 

Hi Jo

If you want them to mix eventually, you need to leave them to it. There may always be squabbles as they jockey for position in the pecking order but it should settle down. At 28 weeks the legbars are big enough to handle themselves against the ex-batts. I've heard though that ex-batts can be real bullies-almost as if they need to make up for lost time!

If you are stepping in and removing the new ones, the ex-batts will consider they've won and driven away the intruders. Is there a particular hen that is the ringleader and being more of a bully than the others? If so, seperate her from the flock (but keep her within sight of the others and vice versa!!) and that might alter the power structure. Even removing two bullies can alter things.

Another tip-any new introductions should be done at night, adding the new hens to the perch after the others have gone to bed and its dark. That way they wake up together and (hopefully!) get acclimatised....

Lastly, seperate food and drink containers for the two groups. So many fights start over these. Every introduction is different though, so try out different things. Fingers crossed, I'm sure it'll settle down eventually. Oh and the noise they make sounds worse than it really is!

 

Of course you could always put it on webcam and start taking bets lol.


sorry..........I`ll get my coat.

 

We would let them mix free range and allow them to choose which pen they roosted in. There was always the most hen pecked one ,which was eventually seperated and then fed up and ended up on the dinner table first. Life for all of our Hens was good and calm.

 

Aaron....Thanks for all that, great advice and will be takeing it, I plan to put them together Monday night that way I have Tuesday to keep a proper eye on them, one thing though I;m not sure there's the room to have two lots of food and water in there so will have to just have one water which there going to have to share but when they're outside they can have access to them all

Claire...Good idea did think of having a cctv camera outside to keep an eye on them but your way makes it profitably( but illegal) Your coat is ready for you :lol:

Pal... that also sounds like a good idea but I'm still weary of the fox so don't feel too good about leaving them to roam free to choose but definately something to think about. I'm not too keen on the eating them but do plan to have some eaters in the near future ( just having difficulty sourceing some locally) but also worry that layers will notice the eaters going missing and thinking they're next(chicken run accounts for alot)

Alot to think about, Thanks all

 

Food is usually more an issue than water. I've noticed hens that bicker over food will drink from the same drinker quite contentedly, even ladylike!

Bizarrely, a water pistol aimed at the worst offender can sometimes work. If you need to seperate, a smaller run is sufficient for the main bully.

 

I'll keep everything ready for the secondary enclosure just incase, thanks again

 

Don`t forget the webcam Jo.

 

It's still an option Claire

Well there all in together, two food bowls and one water, wish me luck for the morning

 

Get yourself up early Jo to let them out together. Doesn't need to be the crack of dawn, just whenever it gets light to minimise any arguments. It sounds worse than it really is, but only step in to seperate if there is real nastiness or blood drawn!

 

How did it go Jo?

 

They've not been too bad, it's moer when thry're in the coop/run combo rather than outside. When they're in bed they snugle together and play nice None have them have been injured and they seem to have a little squabble and go their seperate ways. It is more the ex-batts so have had a word with the three and told them to stick up for them selves, not sure they listened to me but we'll see.

Thanks again for your advice

 

The two groups will probably always be a bit distinct, but glad its getting sorted out

 

They're two different breeds so I hope so, :lol:

Went down to let them out this morning and they're mingling better, no pecking to be seen