So I only free range for short periods of time. I wouldn't trust young chicks without a mama hen out free ranging if they weren't reliably homed to the run or coop yet. Maybe if the chicks were in a tractor I'd be ok with it, but that's not going to help them progress to face to face integration.I let mine free range for most of the day. But when they are in their pen there is only about 15 square feet per bird, with no obstacles. Just big, square, and dirt. Do you think it would be fine to let the chicks around the hens while they are free ranging, then putting them somewhere separate when I lock them up?
If I did free range most of the time/exclusively then I'd handle integration differently.