Integration taking foreeeeevvveeerrrr..why?!?

[Toothpick]

I think they just like to remind each other who's boss. I've got 6 hens in one run that were raised from chicks together. They are over a year old now (gotta be..), been laying for a long time. A couple of the bigger hens occasionally pick on the smaller ones. Different breeds too. No blood or flying feathers. More like a "I'm eating here back off!" or a "I'm walking here get out of my way!".

But at night they are all friends and roost together.

 

[chickens really]

Hello...You will possibly have two subgroups of Chickens. They may never totally integrate into one happy flock..

 

[sbhkma]

I've been watching the same thing with mine. Two 10 month old and three 5 month old hens. Been side by side for a while and now in the same coop + free ranging for 2 weeks. The coop and run have 3 water stations, 4 food stations, 4 roost poles and a wide flat block like a wall leaning up for the younger ones to run behind. They are better when they get to free range for a bit in the afternoon, but the older girls are still pushing the kids around (all Welsummers). At night they roost on the same pole, but the 3 huddled on one end and the 2 older on the opposite end. On the same roost (there are two 5 foot roosts). No blood drawn ever. They'll dust bathe together. I figure they'll either merge fully or I'll have two flocks. It may take a couple more months to find out. By then the littles "should" be laying.