Fast way to integrate chicks to adults

[Finge]

So I have a problem that I didn't think of before, I have 11 4-5 week old chicks in a brooder coop inside my run with my 7 older chickens, 5 hens and two roosters. I also have eggs in an incubator that will hatch when my chicks are about 6 weeks old. I need that brooder coop for the new chicks, and I need a quick way to integrate the 11 week chicks.

I've been letting them out of the brooder coop daily to hang out with my already established flock, at first, I just put one of my injured hens in with them, as she can't get around much, so she wouldn't be able to chase them if she wanted to, and it went well, I fed them side by side, and the chicks learned by example not to get close to her when she pecked a few of their flockmates. After that, I let them free range in the pen, but make sure the more wild hens don't get to close to them, but the chicks seems to know not to get to close, and run into their brooder coop when one of the older hens starts foraging close to them.

The brooder coop's door is cracked just enough for the chicks to squeeze under the bottom of the door and get in, with a hog panel keeping the door from swinging open or closing completely, so there's another source of protection as they're still small enough to squeeze through the holes in the panel.

If I keep this up, can I fully integrate the chicks with my flock completely, or is there another way?

 

[Pork Pie]

I'd say your current plan is fine. I'm not sure there's a fast way to integration as time is a key issue. Ensuring you have multiple feeders and barriers within your run can (to reduce the chicks being within direct eyesight of the adults) helps the littles. Places of refuge for the chicks are similarly important.

This article may be of interest -
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

 

[centrarchid]

Hens are your CURRENT bottleneck. Consider switching the 4-5 week chicks with the hens only for about 3 days where the five hens are in brooder and chicks are with the roosters. The release hens to roost with chicks and roosters. Chicks will get bullied a but not as bad as if you simply forced them into coops with adults. With adults, hens harder on chicks they do not know than are roosters.

An alternative approach is to place another pen for chicks inside coop. Chicks use that at night.

You resources may be tight for the flock you are keeping?

 

[Finge]

@Pork Pie Ken I believe they have a lot of places to hide, as I have multiple coops in the pen, and have given the smarter chickens of my lot access to the tree in their pen.

@centrarchid that's what I was going to ask in my post, but I didn't want to seem cruel to the littles. I'll do this starting today, though I might have to edit one of my coop, as the door is a bit too high for the chicks I believe.