Trouble merging chicks together

[sherg]

Hello, we are new to raising chickens and have a dilemma. We ordered 32 chickens, 2 roosters and 30 hens, from a hatchery. Because it was cold, we received an additional 11 chickens for warmth. We have raised them all together, and now find ourselves in care of 15 roosters and 22 hens (5 didn't make it). So, it seems that 3 hens were really roosters. Anyway, 2 weeks ago we were given 4 ameracauna hens from a friend that were 2 weeks younger than the rest. Ours were 10 weeks old, and hers were 8. Our red star roosters, which we have 8 of, immediately attacked and terrified the young hens. We separated them, while allowing them to be next to each other, and 2 weeks have passed. We tried introducing them in today again, with the same results, and immediately put them back. They have grown, but are still smaller than the rest. We don't really want to keep them permanently separate, and foresee the roosters having more problems as they grow, but have grown attached to the roosters. But we don't want them to kill the younger ones, only to have to get rid of them too eventually. We don't quite know what to do. Thank you.

 

[Den in Penn]

You are going to have to make a decision. Your rooster to hen ratio is way off. You already mentioned one choice, permanent separation of the younger ones. I'll give you a twist on that and give you another option, separation of the roosters into a bachelor pen. You know there is trouble coming down the line when they mature. The hard choice of getting rid of most of the roosters is the choice I would make.

 

[sherg]

Thank you. We did end up separating the pen and putting the dominant roosters on one side with some of the more tolerant hens, and the little hens with the younger ones on the other with 3 of the sweeter roosters. There seems to be a temporary truce now. They seem more interested in what the roosters on the other side of the fence are doing. I know we will eventually have to do something with the extra roosters, but are waiting until they get a little older. It's really hard because they are nice to people, just not to each other. We also want to try breeding some of the different varieties we have, so may have to take that into consideration. Thanks so much for the info.