Big meanie hurting my babies

[Redfeathers]

Hi

My Polish are getting along ok with my BO's in the run. It took awhile of having them seperated by some chicken wire but now there is a sort of peace. In the coop however I can't say that is the same deal. The polish are one month older than the orps which are still babies...well, they are 7 weeks now, and the polish are 11 weeks. So, do I keep trying to put them all to bed in the same coop or keep the Orps in their own kennel until they are big and brawny and can hold their own. Its really only one of my polish hens that is being mean and she pecks them really hard on the back, sometimes yanking a feather out. I seperated them for the night but would really like to have them all together. I know there is a pecking order and it's been established now, so why does she keep trying to hurt them when I put them in the coop?

 

[KKluckers]

That is strange? They have enough room per chicken? I have three older hens with my younger pullets and they do pick on them a lot. I guess you could separate them. I don't worry much about mine unless they are really picking them badly and causing harm. Mine haven't done that so far. It sometimes takes up to a few weeks for everything to settle back down to normal. Some hens just like to assert there dominance.