Mixing chicks with older chicks

Hi everyone. I have 3 one year old full sized chickens in the coop/run of which one is a silkie rooster. There are also 2 twelve week medium sized hens that I've successfully integrated into the coop. But now I have 8 chicks inside that I am ready to put outside In the coop run that range from 10 to 12 weeks old. At least two of them are very prominent roosters. They all have their feathers and are all close to the same size collectively, but are considerable smaller than my 3 one year olds and even smaller than the 2 hens I placed out there a few weeks ago. So, this would be 3 sets of different sized chickens, 13 in all.

I've read to put their a cage down into the run for the day to let them all get aquainted, but I'm still worried to open their cage and let them all mingle together and even sleep together for the night. I have to work during the day so I'm not there to supervise other than evenings. My plan would be to put the cage in the run in the morning then I would plan to open the cage in the evening and let them all meet each other for a few hours until the sun is down and I can watch them during that time only. I've read through the forums thoroughly and can't seem to find anything about mixing full one year olds with considerably smaller chicks. Any reassurances or thoughts, please? This is my first time and just want everyone to be safe! my hope is safety in numbers but I don't think this will apply here...? Would it help or matter at all to keep the 2 prominent rooster chicks inside for the transition and take them out at a later date???
Thank you!!

Hi

Glad you could join the flock! Intergrating issues sure can be daunting. Pecking order scuffles will happen but as you say if you use the see but don't touch method they can be lessened. I found a few weeks doing this works well before letting everyone mingle. Here is a fab article ~ https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/introducing-new-chickens-using-the-see-but-don-t-touch-method

Good luck getting everyone together in the future and enjoy BYC

Hi and welcome to BYC - sounds like you have you hands full at the moment!

In addition to the great link given to you by Y/Coop, here are some others.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1015820/reintegration-by-supervised-visits#post_15742910

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/introducing-a-single-hen-to-an-existing-flock

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1069595/introducing-chicks-to-adults#post_16276224

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1098683/introducing-new-chickens-to-old-flock#post_16895615

Good luck!

CT

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!

Thanks all! Very helpful info that I will definitely be able to use

Agree with Yorkshire Coop, I recommend the "look but don't touch," method.