How long to intergrate?

[brightonchicks]

My chicks are almost 8 weeks and I am trying to get them intergrated with my 3 other hens before winter. I have them where they can see each other and I go out a few times a day and let them together and guard them but the big hens want to kill the chicks and mamaw! how long does it take on average to get them to get along? I put them together at night once it's dark and they can't see each other on the roosts and then seperate them in the mornings before daylight.

 

[Den in Penn]

If you can leave them out of the run and range they should be able to run enough for the older hens to be satisfied they are dominate and things should settle down. If you can't leave them loose, then they should be at least 12 weeks and big enough to weather the roughness that comes with the establishment of the pecking order. It is going to take as long as it is going to take, it could be a day or a week. But separating them after you decide to do it to is just going to start it all over again..

 

[brightonchicks]

Thank you.