Need some advice on "pecking order"

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I had an interesting experience yesterday. I have two flocks. One flock is older with 9 grown hens. They live in one coop and my smaller, younger flock of 8 chicks ranging from 12 weeks to 6 weeks live in the other coop. Well, I asked my daughter to let the chickens out to free range when she got home from school, assuming she knew that I meant the older birds. Nope. She let them ALL out! All 17 of them were free ranging when I got home that evening. My first thought was, where did all those chickens come from? Then I realized what must have happened and just watched them for a while. Everyone was at peace since they had plenty of room and had been visiting each other through the chicken wire anyway. When I put the big ones to bed, the little ones followed them into the coop, and that's when some of the bigger hens were pecking at the little guys, so I caught them out one by one and put them back in their own coop. My daughter now knows to leave the little guys in their coop because they are really too small to be out unsupervised. They loved it, though, so I'll have to let them out when I can watch them and train them to go back in their coop to get their treats like my big girls do. All in all, it went a lot better than I would have expected!
 
I am new to chicken rearing and I don't have a mixed flock. I was told by breeder that they are Golden Crowns, which aren't really a recognized breed.Great layers but poor brooders. They are also gentle. That being said, the 5 of them all seemed ok until the largest female started pecking and pulling the other birds wings causing some bleeding. I immediately put her in "time out" , using a large playpen...she could see through it at the other chicks. I was did not treat her any differently .When I reintroduced her she just snuggled up with them all and I haven't had a problem since. Many people say chickens, ducks etc are stupid. I don't think so...I just have to put one on the perch before the rest of them start skreeching their disattisfaction with me and into the coop they go looking for the missing flockmate.
 
Please protect your black ckicken...they make excellent brooders but poor layers..which accounts for their gentle nature. She needs to be with her own kind. Not terrorized and beat on. I know this is not your fault but it's a no brainer. In aquariums you'll often have an aggressive fish. The fish must be given away, euthanized or it will make all the other fish miserable. Get her away from the aggressive birds. Dinner? Donate them..whatever it takes.
 
I also have had a similar problem, I have read thequestions and responses and I am not sure if my situation is similar and if I should follow the advise given.. heres my dilema: I have 3 silkie hens (blk, wht, and grey/wht) 3 RIR, 1 silkie rooster, 1 easter egger, and a gimpy (currently) Barred Rock.. now my problem is all the RIR are picking on my white silkie. they have all been in the same coop since the end of November. together all winter and spring, now within the last few weeks they have been jumping on her, pinning her down and beating her up, tonight all three of them had her pinned down. She got up and ran away, and they started to chase after her, till I stepped out of the house. Since the RIR started this a few weeks ago, I have been keeping her and the grey/wht one in a large dog kennel in the same coop, but seperated so they dont get beat up on during the day when I am not home. I dont know if they are doing this because of pecking order, or because they are "jerks".. the white silkie must have been going through some molting because she is getting new feathers in around her neck and a spot on her back.. could this be why they are picking on her, and at times? they go after the grey/wht one, but not like they do the white one.. any answer from my fellow chicken people.. THANK YOU!
 
Seems to me a common problem when Silkies and others are mixed Simplyserene. My friends silky bantam would pick on everyone even as a chick she would try to take on the rooster and she never could figure out how to get them to play nice with other birds, they did well though when it was just silkies.

We do not have a silky currently, might try making a chicken jail in the coop, seemed to cure our trouble makers real quick as the others picked a new pecking order really quick and nothing the trouble makers could do about it other than complain. The older blue Swedish duckling is doing roosters job though instead of being so motherly.

We just added new members to the flock that were coming off quarantine so have 1 we cannot identify , 1 Americana, 1 blue Swedish duck, 1 Mallard . 4 Barred Rock and 4 RIR then in a separate pen are the 6 Cornish cross
 
after reading all the forums and responses to the original question,I went out and let out my two "babies" and caught the two main RIR who are the culprits and put them in the kennel where the silkies were. I also call my kennel " chicken jail" i have had to use it a number of times. I recenty had to "get rid" of my silkie rooster who was the head honcho of the group and he was a "ladies man" if you know what I mean.. lol.. he kept attacking our dog, my fiance and I both, he was getting nasty with some of the others and i was done with it. so since then, the girls have been a bit out of control. so I will leave the two red in "jail" for a bit and see how that works out.. like i said there were no problems from Nov till now..
 
yeah those small ones can be more of a danger than a big gentle rooster , one time I had a little Japanese rooster that was white and yellow, it was given to me where I bought the hens, i found out why when I got him home. RIR's just kinda depends on how they were raised, just show em whose the boss though and they usually settle pretty well, I actually had to tether the RIR rooster at first to be able to get into the coop but they do learn really quick if they want free run they had better be behaving themselves.
 
This is just one unlucky hen.

Now she has an egg stuck in her...which I hear is a big problem.
 

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