My batch of chicks is almost 11 weeks old right now, I put them out in the coop when they were probably 7 weeks old, it went ok for about 2 days then the 3rd day for whatever reason they got attacked by one or more of the large chickens, I came home from work to find 1 small rooster pecked almost to death(I had to finish him off) and a EE hen with a badly damaged wing, she was nursed back to health. The next day I built a wall of a 2x4 frame and chicken wire to divide off a section of coop into the chick's area, but they are still inside with the large chickens, all that separates them is the chicken wire. I have left them in this setup until today, like I said they are 11 weeks old now.
This afternoon I let the flock out to range in my fenced yard and opened up the chick's pen in the coop, at 11 weeks the little roosters are about the same size as my EE hens and smaller NH reds, obviously my hen chicks are somewhat smaller with the exception of my BRxBrahma cross she is a lunker, lol. The chicks are still afraid to come outside but explored the other half of the coop. My rooster and a few of the hens have popped in to see them without incident other than 1 White Roc whom insists on going in and chasing them and pecking them on the back and yanking out feathers. If all the others remain ok with the chicks I will have a white roc in the stew pot tomorrow!
I would have thought 4 or 5 weeks with the hens living side by side with the chicks that they would be used to each other but there is still going to be fights and pecking order going on. At least now the chicks are big enough to run away, when they were smaller they would huddle in the corner and try to hide, then they would get hurt because the big chickens would continue to attack.
