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You know, this problem might get a bit worse, before it gets better. If I read your post right, you added the older hens to the younger chicks..... so at first, chicken brain wise .... the hens were off their home territory, so therefore, lower on the pecking order, but as they become adjusted and believe that this IS there home, and guess what, I AM bigger than those chicks.... I think the thumping might get worse. Full grown hens to 1 month chicks, is quite a size difference.

 

I think you might need a picket fence and lots of obstacles so that the chicks can get away from the hens, along with separate water and feed. They won't become one flock until all are full grown. And even when they tolerate each other to live next to each other, they may always have separate groups, it just depends on the chickens.

 

Anyway, I think you should make extra sure that the chicks can get away and out of reach of those hens, cause I think those hens are going to get meaner for a while.

 

Mrs K