Introducing new chickens

[Phillipsfarm6]

Okay, so I am new to the chicken world, and I'm still figuring everything out, so bear with me. I have 16, 20 week old chickens that are in a big coop, and then I have 10, 10 week old chickens that are in a sort of brooder that is in the run off of the chicken coop. The bigger birds free range outside all day, but the littler chickens are still in the brooder and only let out in the run and the coop during some of the day right now. I have let a few bigger chickens come in the run with the smaller ones and everything seems well. But, they are itching to get out and free range with the bigger ones, however we have two roosters that have sex regularly with the bigger hens. One time one of the littler hens escaped and went out of the run and one of the roosters tried to have sex with her and she was very freaked out! There are no roosters with the smaller chickens they are all hens. My question is, will the bigger 20 week old chickens hurt the 10 week old chickens when having sex? They are about half the size and I'm afraid they will hurt them. Is my fear irrational? Will they be okay? Should I wait longer to let them out? Help!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I would remove the roosters and pen them up, while you work on getting the hens together, than return the roosters when the younger hens are old enough to be mated. Your roosters can definitely hurt them. An older rooster would know better, young roosters have no sense, keep them away from the younger ones.