*emergency* Older Chick Atacking The Smaller Newer Chick

[countrygirl911]

HI I HAVE AN EMERGENCY AND DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO. I HAVE CHICKENS OUT IN THE COOP THAT ARE AROUND 8 OR 9 WEEKS OLD WEEKS OLD AND 5 LITTLE ONES THAT ARE ABOUT 5 OR 6 WEEKS OLD BUT NO OLDER THE 7 WEEKS. I BROUGHT THE LITTLE ONES OUT TO THE COOP WITH THE BIG ONES THEY WERE IN THEIR CAGE AND AFTER A WHILE I THOUGHT THEY WERE FINE SO I ATEMPTED TO LET THE YOUNGER ONES OUT AND ONE OF THE BIGGER ONES WENT CRAZY AND FLE IN THE CAGE AND PINED DOWN THE LITTLES ONE OF THE GROUP AND STARTED TO PECK THE CRAP OUT OF HER. SO I FINALLY GOT HER OFF THE LITTLE ONE AND I CLOSED THEM BACKINTO THE CAGE SO IT COULD NOT GET HURT BUT THE BIGGER ONE SEEM DETERMINED TO GET TO HER. THE OTHER 4 OLDER ONES SEEMFINE WITH THEM AND EVEN IGNORE THE LITTLE ONES. WHAT SHOULD I DO SHOULD I BRING THEM BACKINSIDE OR LEVE THEM IN THE BIG CAGE THEY ARE IN INSIDE THE COOP UNTIL THEY GET USE TO EACH OTHER THEN LET THEM OUT WITH THE OTHERS. BELOW IS THE PIC OF THE ONE ATTACKING THE LITTLE ONES.

NOW A PIC OF THE SMALLER CHICKENS

PLEASE ANY HELP WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED I DO NOT WANT MY LITTLE GIRLS TO GET HURT BUT THEY DO ONE DAY NEED TO GO IN THE COOP WTH THE OTHERS AS YOU CAN SEE I AM NEW TO CHICKENS MY GRANDPARENTS ALWYS DELT WITH THEM I AM JUST NERVIOUSE THAT THEY WILL GET HURT OR WORS KILLED BY THE BIGGER CHICKEN

 

[countrygirl911]

Please Help Anyone Corection On Age On Little Ones Is 4 To 6 Weeks Old Can Not Remember The Date I Got Them But I Do Know They Were About A Week Old When I Got Them Also On The Older Ones 7 To 8 Weeks Old No Older Than 8 Weeks Please Help I Have Small Children That Are Also Worried About There Cute Littel Pets

 

[speckledhen]

There is too large of a size difference. They need to be old enough to escape from bullying and those are pretty small, from your picture. They need to be close to the same size, really. A chicken's world is a savage place.

 

[countrygirl911]

So If They Get Older Will They Be Able To Survive With The Older Ones There Is Not A Place For Them To Get Away Inside The Coop How Would I Set Something Up For Them To Get Away From The Older Ones

 

[Opa]

As the previous posters have stated there is too great a difference in size with your birds. Because birds mature at such a rapid rate, even one week's difference in age can result in a huge size deference. While size is the dominate factor age place an imortant role as well. I've had 20 ounce bantams that dominated the entire flock including hens well over 8 pounds. The attitude can make a difference in flock composition. I think you will find that most chickens are close to their adult size by 16 weeks, and I would never introduce birds less than that to your flock.

 

[countrygirl911]

Ok But What If I Can Not Keep Them In The House In A Pen Till They Are 16 Weeks Thepen They Are In Might Hold Them For Another 2 Or 3 Weeks 4 Tops So What Do I Do Then The Coop Is One Big Area And I Have No Way Of Sectioning Off An Area In Their. If I Keep Them Seperated For A Few More Weeks And Put Them In The Coop Inside Their Big Cage They Are In Now For A Few Days And Let Them Out Seperatly Everyday In The Run While The Bigger Ones Are In Coop Will That Work To Keep Them From Attacking Each Other. Like Rotate The Time They Are In The Run Till The Get Use To Each Other. Will That Help Them Not Be To Bad Once Let Out All Together. The Other Chickens Are Not Interested In Them At All Just The Big Rir I Think Is A Rooster Who Is Being Mean To Them The Pic Above Is The One Pecking Them Is He A Rooster And Is That Why He Was Mean And When They Get Older Will I Have That Same Problem

 

[countrygirl911]

someone please help

 

[speckledhen]

We can't tell you what you want to hear. The birds are too different in age/size to get along without damages. Can't make them get along. Honestly, I had some trouble reading your last run-on post so not sure what to tell you except that you need different areas for those two groups. The RIR is not pecking them because he's a rooster, but because he is an older bird and that's what they do.

 

[Wiglwerm]

I have stair stepped chickens, here's what I did, get a large see through (dog crate?) and put the little ones in it, INSIDE the coop with the other bigger ones...Keep them in there and feed them in there...when you let the older ones out into the run or yard or wherever let the little ones have run of the coop. They will soon be accepted as a a normal part of the flock, but the big ones won't be able to reach them in the pen...eventually they will be able to be with the older ones. After mine got big enough( or too big for the dog cage) I leaned a piece of ply wood again the side of the coop making the space only big enough for the babies to get behind and into the corner, like there own little tunnel to safety, this way if any of the older ones decide to bully them they have a place to escape to...NOW this part is ONLY after they have been acclimated to the flock via the see through dog cage... GOOD LUCK, Hope this helped

 

[speckledhen]

I wanted to say that I don't mean to sound harsh, I really don't. It's hard to have different age chicks. Sometimes, a little one gets killed. They can be rough on each other, male and female alike.