8 week old lone pullet and 6 new (days old) pullets

[LindaMarieLaur]

Right now I have my 8 week back inside in the playpen. Nights I am afraid may still be too cold. I have two laying hens and a rooster. I was worried about integrating the 8 week old with the older chickens but picked up new chicks from Tractor Supply March 1. Now I am wondering when I can integrate the new chicks with the 8 week old. They are in different containers in m home next to each other.

 

[Nksg75]

Wow, how did you stay sane with 1 lone chick for 8 weeks?
I had that happen to me a couple of times when only one egg hatched. The line chick would constantly chirp, all the dang time. After a couple days of this I found someone selling chicks and bought one. After that, my sanity returned.
Anyway, that's a tough one about integrating. I would not try to integrate the lone chick with the older girls. I would instead put it with the babies. Not now of course, but many side by side where they can see each other for awhile?

 

[LindaMarieLaur]

Wow, how did you stay sane with 1 lone chick for 8 weeks?
I had that happen to me a couple of times when only one egg hatched. The line chick would constantly chirp, all the dang time. After a couple days of this I found someone selling chicks and bought one. After that, my sanity returned.
Anyway, that's a tough one about integrating. I would not try to integrate the lone chick with the older girls. I would instead put it with the babies. Not now of course, but many side by side where they can see each other for awhile?

Thank you. I was hoping this might be the better option. The two hens and rooster all live together in one yard. I have a separate area in the yard for introducing others. Smaller ones can get in and out, but larger can't get in or out. The 8 week old has definitely taken interest in the new peeps. I had both the mother hen and chick in the house til Feb 21 (day before chick 7 weeks) when I let the mother back with the other two chickens. I've had the 8 week out and back in and now I figure I'll just keep her in next to the little ones til it is warmer and they are older.

 

[Tiana's chickens]

I raised a chick by itself, was almost impossible to introduced to the older hens when he was 7 weeks but I persisted and now at 24 weeks he's boss of them all lol. I ended up getting some youngsters as well which helped him build up his confidence around chickens. Let her stay with the chicks for a while (as long as she's not injuring them) and let her see (but no contact) the older chooks each day and gradually she'll get used to them. Maybe if it's going well with the older ones she could start spending a day or two here and there with them and stay inside at night

 

[aart]

This might help:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/introducing-a-single-hen-to-an-existing-flock.71997/

So might these:
Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.

This used to be a better search, new format has reduced it's efficacy, but still:
Read up on integration..... BYC advanced search>titles only>integration
This is good place to start reading, BUT some info is outdated IMO:
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/adding-to-your-flock