I have three 8mo. old hens and 5 5wk old chicks , they have shared the same coop although visibly divided from each other for 3 weeks. Is it too soon to let them go free together in the attached chicken yard? Yard is covered and escape proof and there are hiding places in a 16ft X 25ft area.
Don't attempt that until they are at least 3 mo old. Even then, you will need a place where the younger birds can hide and get away from the older birds, with feed and water of their own.
From another post. I agree with the other post. Here is my story on my experiences putting my pullets with my hens. First I let them all out in the yard together when the pullets were about 12 weeks old and the hens were about 1 1/2 yrs old. I put lots of scratch out for them. It didn't go to well. The hens chased and picked on the pullets terrible so I separated them. They had been in different coops and adjacent runs for over a month prior to the first time I tried to put them together. When I put them together the last time when the pullets were about 20 weeks, I had two hens that were terrible and jumping on the pullets and pulling their feathers out. I took the two most aggressive hens out and separated them from the rest. They were put into a separate pen for a week where all the rest of the chickens could walk around them see them but couldn't touch. When I did let them out, I put plenty of treats and scratch out hopefully to distract them. It worked for the most part, but for one of the hens. She was still very aggressive. When I saw her jump on one of the pullets I sprayed her with water from a hose that is next to the coop. She went running into the coop and didn't come out for awhile. I have repeated the hose caper a few times. She has calmed down since then. When the pullets were about 20 weeks old I switched coops and put the pullets in the hens house and the hens in the pullets coop and closed the runs so they couldn't interact but could still see each other. After another week went by I put them back together. It went fairly well. One of my goals was to try to get everyone to lay their eggs in the same coop and nest boxes. Now they all stay in the same coop. There was a little bickering in the beginning at roosting time but all is well now and they have worked out their pecking order. There are pictures on my BYC Page.
I have 3.5, 4.5 and 6 week olds in there own little yard inside the big yard. They will stay there until they will be able to hop the little fence. They also have their brooders/hutches too. I would wait a little while longer so they can get more size.
I tried to add 4 6 week old chicks to my flock of hens and they ended up afraid of them. its best not to do that till they are about 1 months old
I have 6 7-8 week old chickens that are loving their first day in their new coop. I have 6 3 week old chicks still in a dog cage in my garage. When would be a good time to introduce the little guys to the rest of my chicken and their new home? What age is a good time to introduce them?
