my chicks just hatched on saturday-monday. i was wondering at what age can i let my chicks go in the coop/run with my adult hens. the coop is a coop/run, it about 8' x 16'. my chicks are divided in the coop/run with the mom and the other adult hens. it's 1 BO and 2 RIR, and 2 OEGB chicks are about 3-4 months old.
From what I understand, you can introduce your chicks to existing flock when they are the same size. This gives them a chance in the pecking order without getting pecked to death. I also think it is good to provide cover for the newbies (even if same size) to hide and get away from the rest of the flock. Having a mom may help but can cause fights. When you do introduce them, stay there and keep an eye on them.
I would wait until they a bigger. The others can kill them. Mom will protect them but if the other can get to them they may try. A friend of mine separated his as the flock did kill one of his chicks so he separated mom and the other chicks until the chicks were pretty well grown. He put them in adjacent coops and runs. He has two fairly small coops with 2 nestboxes each side by side with runs attached which are attached to a common fenced in yard for the birds.
