Having trouble moving my littles in with the big girls

[cuckoo mama]

I have two 30 ish week old slw and two 20ish week old cuckoo marans in my coop. Yesterday I moved my 3 littles (11 week old easter eggers) in with my big girls. My big girls are being so mean. I have my hen house up on four cinder blocks and that is where my littles have taken cover. They are having to sneak out for any feed and water and run back for cover because my big girls are jumping them every chance they get. They cornered one little easter egger yesterday and before I could get in to them they split the very tip of her comb and made her bleed.My question is should I move my littles back out for a few more weeks and let them get a little bigger or should I let them stick it out a little longer? My littles are not fighting back at all. They always try to run away but the big girls just won't give up.

 

[HighStreetCoop]

This is pretty normal. If you can pen them up where they can see each other but not touch each other for a week or two, the introduction should go smoother (e.g. put the EEs out in a wire crate). Otherwise, yes, remove the EEs until they're bigger (roughly the same size as the adult birds).

 

[cuckoo mama]

Yeah that's how I had them since I moved them out of my laundry room. I had them in an extra large wire dog crate right up against the coop so they could see each other through the fence. I was just wanting to get them out of it and in the coop do they could have more room.

 

[HighStreetCoop]

Yeah that's how I had them since I moved them out of my laundry room. I had them in an extra large wire dog crate right up against the coop so they could see each other through the fence. I was just wanting to get them out of it and in the coop do they could have more room.

EEP! Chickens can just be so darn mean when it comes to new additions to the flock. But you're doing everything right.

 

[7littlegirls]

This summer was my first time I added new chicks. We had 4 chickens before that that were just a year old. First I brought the babies out in their cage for about 2 weeks. I then set them up an area in the run and brought them in at night for a week, then after that put them in the coop in their cage at night for about another week. I was so afraid to put them in the coop with the big girls! I hate the whole pecking order thingy!! It's soo mean! Ha!

 

[Schaafty]

I've headed move them in at night and then when the hens wake up they'll all be together and not fight as much as usual.

 

[Mrs. K]

You need a one way gate, where the chick can get out of reach. Perhaps the under part of the coop is out of reach of the bigger girls? If so, just add a feeder and a waterer under there, and leave them.