Mean 'ol hens!

[mrs1885]

You know, this problem might get a bit worse, before it gets better. If I read your post right, you added the older hens to the younger chicks..... so at first, chicken brain wise .... the hens were off their home territory, so therefore, lower on the pecking order, but as they become adjusted and believe that this IS there home, and guess what, I AM bigger than those chicks.... I think the thumping might get worse. Full grown hens to 1 month chicks, is quite a size difference.

I think you might need a picket fence and lots of obstacles so that the chicks can get away from the hens, along with separate water and feed. They won't become one flock until all are full grown. And even when they tolerate each other to live next to each other, they may always have separate groups, it just depends on the chickens.

Anyway, I think you should make extra sure that the chicks can get away and out of reach of those hens, cause I think those hens are going to get meaner for a while.

Mrs K

I hope it doesn't! So far it's been nice out during the day so I let the babies out in the fenced yard and keep the ladies locked in the hen house. At night the babies have a small little area they can go to get away from the big girls. The entry is too small for the bigger ones to fit in, so I think they're safe. Seems to be working so far! I'll keep an eye out though, just in case!

Thanks CMoore333. Seems to be ok for now. Just feeding time was an issue and by putting the babies outside during the day we seem to have solved that problem!!