Chick integration advise

[Maremma chicken]

Hello all! I finally signed up as I would like to get some advise.
First let me say I live in the Maremma region of Italy.Here chickens are for meat and eggs only. Never as let's and they certainly do not have names!
Having said this, advise is hard to come by. You should also know that the names of the breeds are different, but I have tried to translate based on pictures.

Ok, so I have a small flock consisting of 2 mature leghorns, 2 Reds, 2 Marans ( not yet producing ) and now one surviving chick of unknown( bought from a fair as they were going to be tossed) one survived and is 3 weeks old and one Tosca of 2 months old ( same situation as the chick )
I have the 2 month old Tosca and 3 week chick together in the house and the older acts as Mom.

My Tosca is ready to move to the outdoor pen in the daytime, but the chicks needs her for comfort and warmth.

If I keep them together, will they remain as a group when integrated into the flock despite the difference in age or should I get new chicks to sat with the chick and a new Tosca to become a partner for her.

I read and see first hand that the chickens stay very much together as they were raised. My Leghorns are always together, the reds together and the Marans are together.

I don't want any of them to be bullied or picked on


Thank for listening and any advise in English would be helpful

Ciao, ciao

 

[gander007]

Mine all sleep together ...




These guys will brake off from each other and go to their own
groups as birds of a feather flock together .....





See all the different sizes and types they can get along ....














gander007

 

[TwoCrows]

Welcome to BYC!

If this was my flock, I personally would keep the Tosca and the 3 week old chick together. Since they are getting along and neither should be alone, it is also hard to integrate one bird at a time to a flock. And the Tosca will be a few months before she can go with the larger birds anyway. So I would keep these two together and when they are old enough to be mixed in, there will be two of them and will make for easier mixing. When the youngest is ready to go outside, keep both of these birds in a sectioned off area but within the flock for a few months. This will make the mixing go smoothly since they will have been with the flock for so long.

Good luck with your flock and welcome to ours!

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! X2, what TwoCrows said, if it were my flock I would keep the two younger chicks together until the younger one is ready to be integrated into the flock and then do it slowly through wire like TwoCrows mensioned. Chicks that were raised together often do wind up sticking with each other when they are adults, but sometimes the groups do rearrange themselves.
If you are planning on getting some more chicks anyhow, you can integrate the new ones chicks (slowly) with the two chicks you have and then integrate all of them into the older flock when the smallest ones are old enough or in two batches like you suggested if it is easier for you.