I think the escape hatches are great. Gives them a chance to actually interact, but run away if need be. Or you can set up little stations that the little ones can get under but the bigger ones can't. At least you know that one of them doesn't care about having chicks aroundThat’s a great read! I needed that too lol I have a flock outside already ages vary 5weeks for my giant meaties 4 weeks for my reds and 3.5 almost 4 weeks for buff orpingtons. That flock has been permanently outside for almost 2 weeks now...as I did outside for short times at first on warmer days then all day then guess what I’m kicking u out of the house for good lol. I have the heat light in the coop (it’s a smaller from tsc with a fence run under) just Incase the temps drop. It hasn’t been below 40 and upon checking them they haven’t seemed to be cold (in their defense they have 2nmeaties to cuddle with). The night we kicked them out we got 8 more chicks (I’m beginning to think this is an addiction) so hubby is almost finished constructing a bigger coop and putting up a fence. When the new chickies are ready we will put them in the smaller coop with the run and the older chickens will have to use the big coop. In your thoughts should I creat an escape door for the newbies in the run or should I leave them be for awhile and then open door for them to go out? This is my first flock everlast Sunday the temps were in the 70s so I put the newbies in an area of the run with the other chicks that I put a screen in between the 2 sets. 1 of my reds (lilah...always the trouble maker) always found a way to get in with the lil ones and never bothered them.
Have you been documenting your coop and run build? There is a coop article contest going on that you may like to enter! Here's a link for you:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/official-byc-coop-page-contest-10.1293484/
Or if you don't want to enter the contest you can just make an article for fun!
No worries on the chicken addition addiction. Most everyone here knows all about that
