Can I integrate 1 month old chicks in with 3 month old birds?

[ElCerritoPlace]

I bought some older chicks this spring to start my flock. The oldest 2 are currently 3 months, then I have 5 that are 2 months old. I then bought 10 chicks that are now 1 month old. Can I put them together? They've been in the same coop/run area although divided by a fence for a 1.5 weeks. So they've seen each other. But I didn't want the younger chicks to get beat up too much. Or should I wait another month?

 

[nbenevento]

That's a pretty good difference in age and more importantly, size. I would recommend waiting until they are more similar in size, however long that takes.

 

[dirtsaver]

We order day old chicks every spring to restock our flock and have a few extra to sell at "point of lay". I've built a "brooder house" and run to keep the chicks in before they are introduced into the main flock. We don't turn the new girls in with the older ones until the young ones are about three to four months old. Even then there are some spats and feuds. The key, like benevento says, is to hold them apart until they are close enough in size that the youngest ones can fend for themselves.Chickens can do a world of hurt to each other while establishing the pecking order,especially to the smaller ones.