are my 7 week olds safe with the big girls?

[winniem]

A couple of weeks ago, I thought I successfully moved the chicks (3 of them) out to the coop to join the older girls (also 3 of them).
Now, it seems that the big girls are constantly charging at the littles. Is this normal behavior that will sort itself out? Not seeing any blood and it usually stops at a charge or peck, but it is fairly constant when they are in the coop together. When they are out free ranging they seem to keep to themselves and there is no conflict.

I am hoping they all learn to get along, knowing that at some point the little ones will grow up and if they start to fight back it could get nasty.

Any ideas to help them peacefully co-exist?

 

[winniem]

any ideas?

 

[mtnviewfarms]

JMHO based on last three years of non-stop chicken raising that it's best to wait until the pullet
is 15-16 weeks of age before integrating with the rest of the flock as they are close to the same
size and able to defend themselves as the pecking order is re-established due to their addition.

I also always put younger birds in as 'pairs' so no one bird is 'singled out' by the flock while they
are getting used to each other.

 

[binza1979]

I put my 7 to 9 weekers in with my big girls...personally I don't have the room to keep them separate for 4 to 5 months.

I had 15 littles that were joining 15 bigs. The bigs chase the littles. I make sure that the littles have places to get away from bigs. I haven't have any major issues. Just the usual squawking. The little tend to stick together in groups and the bigs ignore them for the most part.

Good luck!