Hen is being mean to cockerel

[ThatLadyWithTheChickens]

My big fat barred rock hen is picking on my 11 week old polish cockerel. My other hen, a polish, is also being a bully but not to the same horrible extent. When I walked out this morning, shortly after letting them all out in the run, I found the poor polish with his head buried in the sand while the hen was just whooping him. I've got them separated for now. I've only been letting them co-mingle during the day when I have the door to the run open and there's room for the little ones to get away. Somehow the big girls still always find a way to corner the little guy. I'm not having the same issue with my 11 week old pullets. Any suggestions? Did I let them co-mingle too early?

 

[Shadrach]

My big fat barred rock hen is picking on my 11 week old polish cockerel. My other hen, a polish, is also being a bully but not to the same horrible extent. When I walked out this morning, shortly after letting them all out in the run, I found the poor polish with his head buried in the sand while the hen was just whooping him. I've got them separated for now. I've only been letting them co-mingle during the day when I have the door to the run open and there's room for the little ones to get away. Somehow the big girls still always find a way to corner the little guy. I'm not having the same issue with my 11 week old pullets. Any suggestions? Did I let them co-mingle too early?

Hello ThatLadyWithThe Chickens.
Welcome to BYC.
Terrible though this may sound, this is the way many hens will treat a young cockerel.
The solution for the short term is to give them space. This way the cockerel can avoid the bossy senior hens. As long as the cockerel is not getting injured (a few peck marks on his comb and wattles is normal and not to be worried about) I probably wouldn't separate them. A lot depends on your setup and space. Eventually the senior hens will accept the cockerel but it takes time, as much as a year in some cases.