I avoid integrating, instead sell when my girls are 1 - 1.5yrs and start over, not wanting to deal with "age" issues. I tried last year & it went fairly well but now my girls are older and one has gotten very "bossy".Thank you all for chiming in. You learn something new every day if you pay attention! It's a disappointment, especially with only 3 hens....now my 5-yo Comet has gone off laying, so we may be down to one layer. We really don't enjoy the integration process with new birds, the pecking order establishment completely unnerves me, so....we will see!