Integrating mature birds with 7 week old chicks

We curently have 12, 7 week old chicks in our coop. We are looking into getting some mature birds (2 hens, 2 roos) so we can have eggs throughout the summer. We have a coop that has two separate pens to make the integration easier. We have the option of opening the two pens up to create one big pen. Would it be ok for all bird to be together? Would the adult birds constantly peck at the younger ones given the size difference? Also food wize, would it be dangerous for the chicks to eat the layers food? They are just finishing up their bag of medicated chick starter and we are starting them on the grower.
We can keep them separated, it's just one day we will want them to range together...
Any advise?

Since you have the option I would leave them separated until the young ones are mature .One of coops is divided with nothing but a wall of chicken wire floor to ceiling zipped tied together between my young chickens and my mature chickens .. I also have back to back laying boxes that make it more solid .. But I feel this way they get to know each other but I keep the younger ones safer . It is my thought then when introduced in the same area they aren't as curious and more comfortable . Less Stress

This is the coop we built. We have the chicks on the right side (we just put them in last night)...and we will put the mature birds on the left side. Just need to put some hardware wire on the outside pen before we let them out

Sure, better to seperate them until the chicks are at least 3 months, then let them range together. the chicks will need the grower feed til then anyway and at that age, they will be more able to run fast enough to stay away from the older hens, who will be more dangerous to them than the cocks. Speaking of which, the new adult birds should be familiar with each other and get along well before you purchase them, otherwise the roosters will fight and the hens may also. Good luck.......Pop

CorinneP said:

Since you have the option I would leave them separated until the young ones are mature .One of coops is divided with nothing but a wall of chicken wire floor to ceiling zipped tied together between my young chickens and my mature chickens .. I also have back to back laying boxes that make it more solid .. But I feel this way they get to know each other but I keep the younger ones safer . It is my thought then when introduced in the same area they aren't as curious and more comfortable . Less Stress

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We have a similar design! We must of done something right, hehe.
Ok thanks for the advise. When you say mature do you mean in size or when they start to lay?

Dang! Is that a coup or a house addition?? It looks like you are doing the correct thing by introducing them slowly and in their own areas to start off. Nice job.

Barred4Life said:

This is the coop we built. We have the chicks on the right side (we just put them in last night)...and we will put the mature birds on the left side. Just need to put some hardware wire on the outside pen before we let them out

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Very nice. Good use of an old trailer......Pop

Lollipop said:

Sure, better to seperate them until the chicks are at least 3 months, then let them range together. the chicks will need the grower feed til then anyway and at that age, they will be more able to run fast enough to stay away from the older hens, who will be more dangerous to them than the cocks. Speaking of which, the new adult birds should be familiar with each other and get along well before you purchase them, otherwise the roosters will fight and the hens may also. Good luck.......Pop

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Ok...interesting info...I'm still all new to this, so I need to know this stuff
The 4 birds we are getting are all from the same flock and currently all kept together without any fighting between them...so that part should be good. They're amounst a larger flock. Will 2 roos + 2 hens be too much for the hens? I read on this website that not enough hen ratio to rooster could mean the hens would have bare backs from all the mating, hehe.

A good hen/roo ratio is about 8:1 or 10:1 so your 2 roos is just fine as long as they get along together.

4 the Birds said:

Dang! Is that a coup or a house addition?? It looks like you are doing the correct thing by introducing them slowly and in their own areas to start off. Nice job.

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When we finish building it we almost decided to bring it by sea and have a little summer camp, lol. Then we saw our chicks were starting to jump out of the brooder (walls were just around 3 feet high) so back to original plan - chicken coop!