u/Winnie_Da_Poo

Hi all! I could really use some advice on integrating my flock.

I have two 5-year-old Buff Orpingtons. They originally had a flock of six, but four were killed by raccoons about a year ago, leaving just the two of them together.
Earlier this spring, I bought two chicks. Neither Orpington went broody, so I raised those chicks myself. They’re now about 9 weeks old.

About a week after I got those chicks, one of my Orpingtons (let’s call her Alicent) unexpectedly went broody. I bought two more chicks and slipped them under her, and she accepted them immediately. She’s been an amazing first-time mom.

So now I have:
The Greens: the two adult Orpingtons + Alicent’s two adopted chicks, all living together in my main coop (“King’s Landing”).

The Blacks: the two chicks I hand-raised.
When the Blacks were around 6 weeks old, I started introductions by housing them in a separate coop right next to King’s Landing so everyone could see each other without direct contact.

About a week ago, I started letting the Blacks free-range with everyone. Things are… mixed.
The Blacks are absolutely terrified of Alicent. Every time she sees them, she chases and pecks at them. They’re completely comfortable with my other Orpington and can even spend short periods around her without issues. Because they’re so scared of Alicent, I often find them hiding in a far corner of the yard instead of interacting with the flock.
Interestingly, all four chicks get along great with each other. There have even been a few times when they’ve wandered into each other’s coops with no problems. The issue is only Alicent. She becomes extremely defensive and immediately runs the Blacks out.

My goal is to eventually have everyone living together in King’s Landing, but right now Alicent won’t allow the two hand-raised chicks anywhere near the coop.
Is this just normal mama hen behavior that she’ll eventually outgrow once her chicks are older? Or is there something I should be doing to help everyone establish a pecking order without the Blacks being constantly chased away? Any advice from people who’ve successfully integrated broody hens with separately raised chicks would be greatly appreciated!

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