Sneaky Chicken
In the Brooder
I have 6, 4ish month old pullets and 3 chicks under 3 months. The older girls are all different sizes, from 3lbs to 9lbs (the 9lb bird shows no interest in the babies), but the smaller ones are the about the same, maybe 2-2.5lbs.
Ive had all of them in the coop together for about 3 weeks, separated by chicken fencing, which is working beautifully. The younger chickens and the older chickens all roam the yard at the same time but the older ones are still chasing and pecking at the smaller ones every so often (especially when food is around), some more so than others.
Since the younger chickens are starting to get bigger, I wont be able to keep them separated too much longer. When is the right time to finally completely integrate them while in the coop? My main concern is their safety, as I have read horror stories about bigger birds killing the smaller ones.
Ive had all of them in the coop together for about 3 weeks, separated by chicken fencing, which is working beautifully. The younger chickens and the older chickens all roam the yard at the same time but the older ones are still chasing and pecking at the smaller ones every so often (especially when food is around), some more so than others.
Since the younger chickens are starting to get bigger, I wont be able to keep them separated too much longer. When is the right time to finally completely integrate them while in the coop? My main concern is their safety, as I have read horror stories about bigger birds killing the smaller ones.