How early can i integrate my chicks with the big flock?

[PetesChicks]

I don't have a rooster, so I'm not sure there. But from what I've read here, a lot of roosters are good with chicks. I'm sure it depends on his personality, though.

 

[bobbi-j]

@aart - you integrate at about 4 weeks, don't you?

 

[Zinjifrah]

At three days old, I moved my last batch of incubator chicks out to a flight cage inside the main run. They can see out, the older birds can see in, and the only thing that can get pecked is a beak if they stick it out through the hardware cloth. Now they're two weeks old, feathering in, and starting to come out for exploration time during the day. Supervised, of course. They love it out there, and love watching the older birds to see what they do.

 

[Beer can]

I don't have a rooster, so I'm not sure there. But from what I've read here, a lot of roosters are good with chicks. I'm sure it depends on his personality, though.

Yup, a lot of roosters are good with chicks, in a situation like this integrating young one's into a flock of older, the rooster is usually the most best behaved, the hens are the one's you have to watch. Roosters are so 'chivalrous' with their hens and chicks I'm surprised they don't starve to death, always telling them where the food is, bock bock bock , here's a worm, here's a bug, here's the food dish, ... always giving the prize to the hens and chicks,
Yo dude when do you eat?? Lol

 

[Beer can]

Okay so i just got my chicks they turned two weeks old yesterday. I have three chicks, one blue white crested polish, one porcelain d'uccle, and one dark cornish.
I have five adult chickens, two Easter Eggers, two Ameuraucanas, and one mixed breed rooster (his father was Brahma, his mother a mixed breed, i believe she has some jersey giant and silkie in her, rooster is very very large).
i need to integrate them as soon as possible, i am currently bringing them outside in a dog cage so they can be outside and the big birds don't seem very interested in the little ones.
i don't want to cut any corners but about how soon can they go outside (i know the little ones need to be as close in size to big ones as possible but time is not a luxury i have). I'm hoping if i just bring them out in the dog cage every day the bog birds will get used to them so when it's time for them to move in it's as peaceful as possible with small and few squabbles.
Huge thanks in advance

Always depends, depends on what happens after the integration , can't tell what will happen until you give it a try, might as well give it a go and watch. Most times a hen or two will peck at the youngsters looks a little mean but they move fast and it doesn't hurt them much, they learn fast to stay clear of the mean one's.
I once had to toss a bunch of young Silkies into my mix flock of large breeds with a covered run after a hawk attack. I was super worried cause I didn't even plan on putting them together, thinking the Silkies would get murdered even if they were full grown. It was pretty funny, they stayed segregated, the flock didn't even go near them like they were aliens or something lol. You never know what will happen till you give it a go.
Good luck

 

[aart]

@aart - you integrate at about 4 weeks, don't you?

Yeppers!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

I've also used a dog crate, similar to what @blackdog043 uses.

Space and hiding places are of utmost importance....
...also feed and water where the chicks can get it but not the adults.

 

[Kippenboertje]

A couple of days ago I released my 3 week old chicks (13) in the coop with the grown ups (4). I made their own coop with a very small entrance, so they can run away and hide in case the big ones get aggressive.

Till now everything went fine. The first day they the chicks kept their distance but now they walk in between the big ones. Every now and then a big one pecks a little one but without any damage as the small chick has enough space to run away.

Hope all goes well the next weeks.

 

[Harley Chick]

If you can make an area that's secure for just the chicks, they can stay out full time. No reason to brood indoors or in the garage during the summer, unless it's unreasonably hot.

Here's my BYC brooder page plus week-by-week integration notes. I brooded out in the run and the chicks started mingling with the adults at 2 weeks. They were fully moved into the coop with the adults at 5.5 weeks.

Great info in the article!!!!!!

 

[Middleburg Farm]

Okay so i just got my chicks they turned two weeks old yesterday. I have three chicks, one blue white crested polish, one porcelain d'uccle, and one dark cornish.
I have five adult chickens, two Easter Eggers, two Ameuraucanas, and one mixed breed rooster (his father was Brahma, his mother a mixed breed, i believe she has some jersey giant and silkie in her, rooster is very very large).
i need to integrate them as soon as possible, i am currently bringing them outside in a dog cage so they can be outside and the big birds don't seem very interested in the little ones.
i don't want to cut any corners but about how soon can they go outside (i know the little ones need to be as close in size to big ones as possible but time is not a luxury i have). I'm hoping if i just bring them out in the dog cage every day the bog birds will get used to them so when it's time for them to move in it's as peaceful as possible with small and few squabbles.
Huge thanks in advance

Chicks need their moms protection against other predators (I witnessed a bird of prey attempt to pick up one of my adults hens today). So I would suggest adult supervision if they range freely until big enough to defend themselves. My rooster was in his coop today and had he been out to protect / warm his ladies, this attack would not have happened.

 

[EggMan207]

It depends... I've integrated new chicks in at 6 weeks and had problems (and almost lost one). I like to wait until the chicks are close to full-size. Even then it can get a little violent at first.