Adding 8 week olds to adult flock

[Gardenlady2]

I have a flock of 8-month old chickens: 2 roosters and 8 hens.
I have 16 five and a half week old chicks. The flock has an open coop with 24/7 access to a fenced pasture of a little less than an acre. A week ago we moved the chicks into a grow-out coop inside the fenced pasture. The two groups have spent some time checking each other out through the chicken wire. I'm wondering if 8 weeks will be old enough to integrate them? The 8-week mark is because I have a broody who is sitting on eggs that are due to hatch right about that time, so I'd love to move her into the grow-out coop if possible.

 

[Adenium]

We just integrated our nearly 8-week old chicks this weekend. Had all 7 babies in a dog crate in the big enclosed run for 2 days so the flock (6 hens and a roo) could get acquainted. Let them out and while the alpha hen checked them out and made a couple light pecks here and there it was totally drama-free. Didn't have to intervene at all...they mostly ignored each other.
COMPLETELY different from our experience integrating 2 new adults ....
I would say go for it and just supervise a bit.

 

[Anigozanthos]

Can I ask what you are feeding them? We have some 9 week old chicks I'd like to move in with the older hens.

Our local store stocks a 15.5% protein, 1% calcium feed that is medicated, so it can't be given to the layers; a 15% protein, 3.8% calcium feed that I'm not sure if it is too high in calcium for the younger birds; and an 18.5% protein, 0.9% calcium mix labelled for meat birds.

 

[Adenium]

They're not together full-time yet, but my plan was to use Flock Raiser (I think that's what many use?) amd give oyster shell free choice. My hens have never been great about eating oyster shell so we'll see how it goes. Doubt the babies would really try to eat the big Purina pellets now anyway...they like their baby food and mash.

 

[Gardenlady2]

I think you should use the last feed you listed for meat birds. It sounds like "grower" feed which is what all of mine will get when they are put together:
Crud Protein 17.00% MIN
Calcium 0.85% MIN 1.10% MAXX
I will feed this until the youngest are about 20 weeks old or start laying, whichever comes first. Then you can also provide calcium free choice so your layers can eat what they need. I occasionally give crushed egg shells to the layers, but right now there is so much foraging available to them that they seem to be getting everything they need. I give them a small "treat" of layer feed in the evening when I go to collect their eggs

 

[Anigozanthos]

Thanks I wasn't sure if the protein would be too high for my laying hens.