Mixing younger pullets with older pullets

[RunningBear]

We have 2 x 14 week old production reds and 4 x 10 week old mixed breed bantams. We have a 24 sq foot coop and 68 sq foot run. I would love to let my birds free range in my suburban yard, but my neighbors (many of them) free range their cats. Plus we have skunks, raccoons, coyotes, foxes, hawks, owls (I have personally seen all of these...but only smelled lol the skunk.) etc running through a "green belt" behind our property.

The production reds are only happy if the bantams are cowering in the corner. Any time a bantam tries to walk out of the corner it gets chased.

I have been working on them getting along for 2 weeks. There isn't any blood....just feather pulling/biting. Will it get better? How long does it take for them to get along?

I have put up distractions (like hanging food, shelters, perches). The bantams LOVE the hanging food. The production reds use when the bantams come out to grab food as an opportunity to attack (instead of eating the food themselves). When I sit on a chair in the run, they get along (reluctantly). As soon as I walk in the house they are terrible to the bantams (I've watched through the window).

I was so fed up this morning I let the productions reds have the yard (since they're bigger than the bantams). Help! Thanks!
RunningBear

 

[cavemanrich]

Just as a side note. Little Running Bear. is my daughters name. ( not on the birth certificate.) I think things will smooth out eventually. I have 2 RIR. If they are hatchery grade, then peeps refer to them as production reds. ( no pedigree,

) and 3 banties currently. The established pecking order puts the big girls on top. Best is to provide hiding places for the small ones to run to. In time, they will get along. When around food, you do notice the pecking order most. Big ones get the lions share. Smaller ones eat what is left. With mixed flocks it is more noticeable, than with just one variety.
As to free ranging. most of the predators are nocturnal. Hawks and cats are daytime dangers. Most cats ( not all) will not bother adult chickens, even banties. I have a mess of cats around my area that I feed. They are part of the TAR program. Trap and release. They are ALL neutered or spayed, and have received rabies shots. I provide them Luv and Food. None bother my girls as can be seen in my avatar.
WISHING YOU BEST AND

 

[TheOldBiddy]

Although my cats don’t bother my girls, dogs are another story. They’re said to be chickens’ worst predators. Worse, while a raccoon/fox may kill one or two for food, especially for their young, dogs kill them for fun. They shake then until dead, then go after the next, until none are left. My doctor had @ flock of 50, and came home one day to find his wife hysterical bc the neighbor’s dog was jumping the fence, grabbing a chicken, jumping back over the fence with the chicken, and killing it. When it was dead, so no longer fun to play with, it went back for another. By the time my doctor got home, the dog had killed abt 25 of them. The only way it stopped is when he shot it. I’ve lost many of my girls to neighborhood dogs, too, and shot (injured, not killed) a particularly bad offender. It was a holiday weekend, so the visit to the emergency vet ended up costing $THOUSANDS! Haven’t seen the dog since.

 

[Mrs. K]

Ahhh ick, this might not ever work. Some people can get mixed sizes to get along, and some people can't - it must depend on the set up.

Thing, is, this just ruins chickens for me. It sounds like you have hide outs, so if you had to pick, which group would you pick? Sell the other group.

A peaceful flock is worth it. Your enjoyment will come back into having them. You really cannot just wish them nice. Being raised together has little influence.

Mrs K

 

[TheOldBiddy]

I’ve had luck mixing them in the past. I divided the run in half with a wire panel/fencing, keeping food and water for each group in their own area. The little ones were confined to their area, while the big girls were able to come and go from the henhouse to lay, then could go outside to forage with their flock mates for the rest of the day. Both groups could see one another, but not actually get to each other. Germs were slowly exchanged, too. After several weeks, I locked the big girls out and let the little ones explore the other half of the run and the henhouse, with everyone returning to their proper place to sleep. After several days, they were ready to integrate. The only time I had a problem is when a chick flew over the divider on the first morning while the big girls were still eating. They looked at her as a strange interloper and plucked her head bald! Fortunately, I happened to find her quickly and intervene. I put neosoporin on her head, placing her in a dog crate in the garage with a companion until her head healed. The feathers never came back, so she always looked like Friar Tuck. But, once healed, she was able to join the little ones, again. When finally integrated, they were fine with no further problems.