Older roo with younger chicks

[KYchickentender]

So we are trying to integrate our 2 1/2 month old chicks with our older hens and rooster. They all accidentally got integrated yesterday when no one was around to watch them because the small ones enclosure got tore down by one of our older hens. From what I can tell it went ok. No injuries that I could see. But when we tried to put the little ones in the coop last night, our roo who is 4 months old and pretty big, tried to mount one of the little ones. Will it hurt them if he does that since he’s older and bigger? I mean I know it will happen eventually, but didn’t think it would be so soon?

 

[DobieLover]

So we are trying to integrate our 2 1/2 month old chicks with our older hens and rooster. They all accidentally got integrated yesterday when no one was around to watch them because the small ones enclosure got tore down by one of our older hens. From what I can tell it went ok. No injuries that I could see. But when we tried to put the little ones in the coop last night, our roo who is 4 months old and pretty big, tried to mount one of the little ones. Will it hurt them if he does that since he’s older and bigger? I mean I know it will happen eventually, but didn’t think it would be so soon?

If he was a rooster, he'd likely leave them alone. But he's a cockerel and randy as all get out right now. He should be kept penned away from the young pullets until they are laying. He will just stress everyone out chasing them down. Cockerels can be annoying that way.
Are your "older hens" also just 4 month old pullets? How is he with them?

 

[KYchickentender]

If he was a rooster, he'd likely leave them alone. But he's a cockerel and randy as all get out right now. He should be kept penned away from the young pullets until they are laying. He will just stress everyone out chasing them down. Cockerels can be annoying that way.
Are your "older hens" also just 4 month old pullets? How is he with them?

No the older ones are 6 months old and laying and he chases them down too most of the time, but they are just about the same size as him, maybe just a tad smaller. I guess he’s just acting like a teenage boy lol.

 

[CluckerFamily]

I would keep him separate for some time. Maybe you could make a divider with chicken wire for him.