I've been integrating my 10 week old chicks (5) with my 6 year old hens (3) with the littles on one half the coop and the olds on the other side with a plastic fence in between them for about 2 weeks.
Today, I've let them both out in the year to free range and have been watching. When I let the the littles out, one of the old girls was vocal, and the littles ran back into the coop. The oldies went on they way, wandering around the yard and the littles came out again, mostly hanging out in their make-shift run, although they had access to the yard. The oldies wandered over. One of the littles went near an oldie who was foraging and got pecked and she ran away. Another of the oldies went right by the littles. One of the littles challenged her (chest bumping and wings flapping) and the little backed down. Then another of the littles challenged the same oldie and same result.
I'm assuming this is all fine and normal.
At what point is it too much? Only when there's blood? Or when an oldie won't stop chasing a little?
Today, I've let them both out in the year to free range and have been watching. When I let the the littles out, one of the old girls was vocal, and the littles ran back into the coop. The oldies went on they way, wandering around the yard and the littles came out again, mostly hanging out in their make-shift run, although they had access to the yard. The oldies wandered over. One of the littles went near an oldie who was foraging and got pecked and she ran away. Another of the oldies went right by the littles. One of the littles challenged her (chest bumping and wings flapping) and the little backed down. Then another of the littles challenged the same oldie and same result.
I'm assuming this is all fine and normal.
At what point is it too much? Only when there's blood? Or when an oldie won't stop chasing a little?
