How would you reintroduce chicks of varying ages back to the flock when older ones go outside first?

[Lethal Chaos]

I have chicks of many varying ages in the brooder right now. The oldest would be 3 weeks old and the rest ranging from 2 weeks old, 1 week and the youngest at the moment having hatched in June 5th. We have two Egyptian fayoumi eggs set to hatch the 18th. And an Ayam Cemani set to hatch the 24th. Huge brooder. And we don't have any fighting. But I do realize that the oldest will be the first outside? And as time goes on the rest will join but by bit. Having been raised together though for the most part will they just...forget the younger ones having been outside for awhile..? How would I go about introducing them again if so?

 

[nuthatched]

Can you brood everyone outside?

 

[Lethal Chaos]

Can you brood everyone outside?

How would that be possible? I assume I'd have to have other hens to raise the young ones? If so not possible as I just started my flock. ;w; and we live in the desert. I can't say I'm comfortable with the idea

 

[nuthatched]

How would that be possible? I assume I'd have to have other hens to raise the young ones? If so not possible as I just started my flock. ;w; and we live in the desert. I can't say I'm comfortable with the idea

If there's room in the coop for the brooder, put it out there.
As the chicks get big enough to leave the brooder, they'll mingle without loosing sight of everyone.
Little fuss.
Here's my coop brooder with 5 day old chicks inside and 4 weekers and olds looking in and then a picture of the same chicks fully integrated at 5 weeks. The gray bird in the back is the same bird.

 

[ChickenCameFirst]

Currently in a similar situation. The first day was the hardest for some of the new chicks. The oldest ones are 11 weeks, and the newest are 5 weeks. I had some aggression when introducing just two cause there were 8 older ones, so the odds weren’t in favor of the two. I put them in a medium sized dog kennel (the cage looking kind) in the run and after a week I let them out. They got pecked and chased some, but after 2-3 weeks they stay with the older ones and are a part of the group. I just released the 5 week old ones on Sunday, and they got similar treatment (not by the two smaller ones that are a similar age). A couple tried to squeeze into the smallest crevices they could, saying keep an eye out for that so they don’t get stuck for a long time.
Now that it’s been a couple days they just avoid the big ones and all is well. I’m sure it’ll be a couple weeks till they’re really comfortable, but they’ve been good so far.
So, seeing as yours are only a week apart each and the difference between the oldest and youngest is 3-4 weeks, there should only be a little bit of aggression.

 

[kattabelly]

If you really do need to separate them, can you bring the younger ones out for some time with the older chicks every day?

I'm in a similar situation at the moment with 4½ and 1½ week olds. I was planning to move them all out permanently once the younger chicks were big enough, although the bigger ones are already roosting overnight so I'm thinking maybe they should just go out now. The older chicks are outside most of the day and just back indoors overnight. The younger chicks can't quite cope with that much time outside yet unless the weather is really good, so they spend part of the day outdoors with the older chicks and the rest of the day they get free run of the indoor brooder pen without the bigger birds hogging the turf tray or the best dust bath and roosts.