[mrs chook]

Hi, I've had to put my 19 week old girls in with the old ones-  the fox was desperately trying to get them in their small run. My current set up is one hen house in a large walk in run. They were put in with the oldies Friday night. As the weather has been great they've been out in n the garden most of it! However, it's awful watching the oldies go for the newbies!!!! I've 3 lots of drinking / water stations around.
How long will this naughty behaviour last? What can I do to help the newbies?

Thanks 💕🐓

[New shoot]

If the run is large and there are several food and water stations in it, there isn't much you can do except let them get on with it.  It should start to calm down in a few days.

If it is just a lunge or a bit of chasing by the older girls, although the newbies will scream blue murder, there isn't much harm done.  Look for excessive feather pulling or any signs of blood being drawn though.  That's when it crosses the line and they will have to be separated. 

If it comes to that, you could maybe try and get the smaller set-up inside the big walk-in run.  Otherwise, you can buy foldaway runs that people use for rabbits.  They could go in that inside the bigger run during the day, then back into the coop overnight.

[RubyR3d]

I introduced 4 new to 4 older 4 weeks ago and it sounds like I had same set up as you. I hung up 2 lots of sweetcorn either end of the run with seperate feeders and water. Also I already had several places where the hens could get out of the way. An old small table, a gap between the coop and wall, a slab propped up against the wall and a tree. This time wasn't as bad as before where there was one that was pecked featherless and was a bit blooming. But it was one hen that was bullying and we put a beak bit on her. After 2 and a half weeks things settled and the pecking order has been established with just the occasional reminder from the hens and a clip from me if I think its too much...

[danfinn1]

Nice to know that a clip can be used on a bully . I clipped mine round the ear, she was quite shocked and gave me a wide birth for a while after . My two have settled now, it was such a shame to see the new one being picked on, as she is young and does not fight back. Took about 2 weeks but I will not put them in the same run as I think it is asking for trouble. Best let the older one mellow and keep them separate when I am not there to referee