Older hens won’t forage with younger ones

[whatbeginsabetnotthat]

Hi you guys! I have a problem with my older hens(I know what you're thinking:Again?! Yes!! Again!!). They are doing great now with my pullets inside of the coop and run. The hens share food, snuggle with them, don’t try to kill them, etc. The whole situation has gotten a lot better. But now I have a new dilemma. My hens won’t forage with my pullets. I’m not too concerned, except for the fact that we have foxes and if my four hens keep wandering away from the ten pullets and my cockerel, they have a higher chance of getting eaten. Any tips? Also, another thing. My cockerel is a darling angle when he is in the coop with the hens and the pullets, but when they all go foraging he becomes such a jerk because the hens aren’t there to stop him. Any ideas?? Thank you guys for all your help!!

 

[nuthatched]

Numbers or cockerels won't do anything to stop a fox, unfortunately .

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Mine do the same-the cockerel saunters off with the older hens and leaves the pullets on their own. I’m assuming it will change once the pullets start laying.

 

[Perris]

It is normal for teens to forage separately from the mature birds, and as the cockerel is one of them I imagine he will stay with them until he's ready to assume leadership of the hens. His 'jerk' phase is him practising for that role. When he feels ready, I would expect him to move to the mature hen subflock, and leave the pullets to their own devices, until they also mature and join the existing hens.

How good he is in spotting and warning of predators can't be predicted in advance. If the hens have already been free-ranging, they'll be able to teach him the basics, but how well he develops depends much more on his individual personality, given the absence of a mature roo to show him the ropes.