Mixed ages free ranging

[jelibn1980]

I have some 8 week chicks and some 6 week chicks that have lived together for over 2 weeks now. They get along fine. No pecking or hurting. But they never "mingle". Each age group stays with each other. I've recently started letting them free range while I'm outside...and the oldest stay together and the youngest do too, but away from the older ones. Will they ever all hang out together? It's making things hard when trying to get them back in the run when I go inside. The littlest want to run away from the older, and run off thru the fence into the woods. I stopped letting the littlest free range because it scares me that they go into the woods. What's the best way to handle the two flocks while free ranging ?

 

[3KillerBs]

I have some 8 week chicks and some 6 week chicks that have lived together for over 2 weeks now. They get along fine. No pecking or hurting. But they never "mingle". Each age group stays with each other. I've recently started letting them free range while I'm outside...and the oldest stay together and the youngest do too, but away from the older ones. Will they ever all hang out together? It's making things hard when trying to get them back in the run when I go inside. The littlest want to run away from the older, and run off thru the fence into the woods. I stopped letting the littlest free range because it scares me that they go into the woods. What's the best way to handle the two flocks while free ranging ?

You could line the fence with something that has a smaller mesh that the chicks can't get through in order to keep them out of the woods.

It's normal for chickens to hang together with the birds they were raised with. They'll blend more as a flock once they're all laying.