Best time of day?

[Chickiepoo87]

Ok so we have 4 pullets to add to the main coop... they are about 9 weeks... we put a large crate Inside the coop almost 2 weeks ago so they are all familiar with each other. There are currently five girls in the main coop with no roo...I’m just wondering if I should let them out at night or early in the morning. I’m kind of scared to at night only because I don’t know what I’m going to wake up to.. i’m so attached to our own, it would devastate me if something happened. So any and all advice is appreciated!!! Thank you in advance Pictures aren’t that best, especially of the young ones because I took them at night LOL

 

[aart]

I would recommend during the day.
What does your run look like?

Here's some tips that might help...
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.

 

[Ridgerunner]

How much room do you have in the coop and outside. Do they have access to outside during the day or maybe do you leave the pop door open so they can go out whenever they are awake, including in the morning before you wake up? Your coop is not all that is important on this. How much room they have outside and when that space is available is also important.

When I do this, usually with five week old chicks, I open the brooder door early in the morning. My brooder is in the coop so the chicks were raised with the flock. The adults spend practically all day outside, except when they come in to lay eggs. The chicks normally hang in the coop during the day for the first few days, but eventually they go outside. At night the adults go to sleep on the roosts and the chicks find some other place to sleep. I don't have issues.

I have a rooster with my flock, I think that helps a little but really not all that much. My main coop is 8' x 12'. My adult flock is usually one adult rooster and 6 to 8 hens, but I may have 20 or more older juveniles in the mix. My outside area is a 12' x 32' main run plus an area about 45' x 60' inside electric netting. In my climate they can go outside practically every day of the year. The first few days I get down there pretty early to open the pop door so if they are having any issues but it generally just takes one or two days before I realize they will be OK.

Your set-up and flock is different to mine. I don't know what will happen when you try it. But i always do this early in the day when the young ones have a chance to get away from the adults if they need to. Mine don't but some people have issues with that.