It sounds like the beginning of a cute story book, that I may just write, but, for now, it is my reality and it's kind of frustrating me.
I have a group of four hens that are almost 17 weeks old, and a group of four hens that are 8 weeks old. The older girls live in the coop and free range most of the day in our big back yard. The younger girls, up until a few days ago, spend their nights in a big brooder box in the garage, and their days free ranging with easy access to the grow out pen they were sequestered in for a week or so to get everybody used to each other in a safe environment. The grow out pen is really just a garden patch where we had planted peas and onions (we decided to sacrafice that crop in favor of a safe place for the chicks to spend their days), which we surrounded with chicken wire, put a little tykes playhouse inside for them to shelter in or just hang out in, and kept food and water inside. They stayed in there until I felt they and the bigger girls were really more ignoring each other than anything else, but, if I can't be around to really monitor, I will secure the fence and put them in for safety sake.
We also have two turkey poults that are just a week younger than the younger girls who have decided that they belong to that little flock.
I started putting the little girls in a brooder box inside the coop at night, all nice and secure from being pecked by the bigger girls but everyone able to see each other and just get used to their presence. That was a few nights ago.
Long story short, (I know, too late) the bigger girls, especially my buff orpington and my easter egger, chase the younger girls out of the run if they find them in there, and whenever they are in the same space in the yard the big girls run the little girls off. The littles know what's going to happen, so they usually just vacate as they see the bigs approaching. No real attacks or hard pecks have occurred, but, they are just not able to be in the same area at all. The big girls don't chase the turkeys so much anymore now that they are the same size as them, but the turkeys give them space anyway.
From experience, how long does it usually take before they start to mingle as one flock, or do they always remain separate?
I have a group of four hens that are almost 17 weeks old, and a group of four hens that are 8 weeks old. The older girls live in the coop and free range most of the day in our big back yard. The younger girls, up until a few days ago, spend their nights in a big brooder box in the garage, and their days free ranging with easy access to the grow out pen they were sequestered in for a week or so to get everybody used to each other in a safe environment. The grow out pen is really just a garden patch where we had planted peas and onions (we decided to sacrafice that crop in favor of a safe place for the chicks to spend their days), which we surrounded with chicken wire, put a little tykes playhouse inside for them to shelter in or just hang out in, and kept food and water inside. They stayed in there until I felt they and the bigger girls were really more ignoring each other than anything else, but, if I can't be around to really monitor, I will secure the fence and put them in for safety sake.
We also have two turkey poults that are just a week younger than the younger girls who have decided that they belong to that little flock.
I started putting the little girls in a brooder box inside the coop at night, all nice and secure from being pecked by the bigger girls but everyone able to see each other and just get used to their presence. That was a few nights ago.
Long story short, (I know, too late) the bigger girls, especially my buff orpington and my easter egger, chase the younger girls out of the run if they find them in there, and whenever they are in the same space in the yard the big girls run the little girls off. The littles know what's going to happen, so they usually just vacate as they see the bigs approaching. No real attacks or hard pecks have occurred, but, they are just not able to be in the same area at all. The big girls don't chase the turkeys so much anymore now that they are the same size as them, but the turkeys give them space anyway.
From experience, how long does it usually take before they start to mingle as one flock, or do they always remain separate?
