Integrating chicks with pullets?

[Chicken'n'bees]

How do you get20 week pullets (5 of all different varieties) to accept and integrate with 9 week chicks, one is a BO hen and the other a white Leghorn rooster. Today we put them in the run with the the older ones and the poor buff got pecked on her beak so that there was a bit of blood, and she tried to hide her head in the corner, until the Red Star or the RIR would come along and peck at her again, so she'd squawk and run to another corner. We've let them free range together and they have been chased and pecked at when they are out, but manage to get far enough away. It would be nice if they could roost together at night, they are getting pretty big for their brooder box, although they are very attached to it. Any ideas?

 

[faykokoWV]

I've got chicks and pullets with a similar age difference as yours. they are all in the run and the coop together. I made little hiding placed for the smaller ones so they have some place to get away to if needed. For example, I leaned a bag of pine shavings against the wall at an angle. Just enough room under it for the little ones, but not the big ones. I also put a box in the run with a hole in it so the little ones could run in to get away. Eventually they learned to stay out of the way of the big ones and the big ones started ignoring them.

Do you have a big enough space for them all?

 

[Chicken'n'bees]

Thanks for the idea of hiding spots for them, I think I'll try the box with a hole in it.
I think that we have enough space for them all. The run is 10 x 5 feet and we have roosts that they jump up on and a raised flat surface, so they can also get some shade under it. We are waiting for another section of fencing to come to make it 15 x 5. Also, we will have to get rid of the rooster as soon as he starts crowing, so we will have 6 hens eventually.

 

[cmom]

I agree if you have hiding places for the little birds to go into that the bigger birds can't get into the bigger ones will eventually ignore the little ones.

 

[faykokoWV]

just checked on mine in the coop, all sizes roosting together with no problems.