older chicks bullying younger ones

[pipit]

I have 7 2 month old pullets in the chicken pen and 5 younger ones of varying ages and breeds in the brooder. I've tried introducing the 2 older chicks from the brooder to the chicken yard and the older pullets keep pecking them. One Buff Orpington especially goes after them. she's got the reddest comb and wattles of the other buffs. I thought maybe they had slipped a roo in with the pullets, but she has no spurs. Is it safe to leave the one month old chicks out with the 2 month chicks unattended? Will they always be picked on by the older ones? Would one of the older ones kill a young one? I'm still pretty new to all of this.

 

[Barnyard Dawg]

It sounds like a pecking order has been established. We have just purchased 7 new chicks which will have to be merged with our existing flock they will need to be kept separate until they have developed fully and then we will release them to fend for themselves. We have two pens and two hen houses, which we will also have available so that should help the situation, so we will just wait and see what kind of adjustments are needed at that time. If things should get out of hand we would probably cull out the problem and let a new pecking order be established

 

[AccidentalFarm]

pipit- you can try putting the younger ones in with the older ones at night and observe in the morning to see how they do waking up together. Another thing you could do is separate the 2 groups, but keep them within sight/hearing range so that they become accustomed to each other. If you wait a little longer, the younger ones will catch up in size and be better able to defend themselves.