Need to separate ages -- ideas?

[frankenchick]

I have two sets of chickens; one is 15 weeks, the other is 6 weeks. They have been together since the younger chicks were 3 weeks old (with a special area inside the coop for them).

The problem is that the older chickens (5 NHRs) continue to pick on the younger ones (15 White Mountain Rocks and 2 Hubbards). It's not as bad as it was, but I'm still busy spraying blu on bare spots.

I tried to separate them within the pen, but either the bigs will fly over the 3' divider, or the littles will go under it -- seems like an unhealthy co-dependent relationship.

I can't get it any higher, and the rough ground leaves little spots to wiggle under.

Are the Reds old enough to free-range? It seems I read somewhere that they should be 20 weeks. Am I remembering aright?

TIA

Uh oh. I just realized I'm in the wrong spot. Does anyone know how to move me to the right one?

 

[JFL1950]

We let out 5 week olds out in the yard keep an eye out on them and they do fine.
We have some 20 week olds we let out at the same time and they get alone guess because the yard is big and no one gets in anyones way.
But we do separate them all from eachother at night.
Its been eight weeks now since we started raising them this weekend will be the last for the year and should be 11 ducks.