IMPORTANT!!!!

[showgirl3]

I need help! I have chicks that are eight weeks old and hens that are about a year older, how do I put the babies in the coop without them getting pecked. When I put the birds in last year the older ones pecked the other ones and they were only a week older! any advice? anyone?
Thanks,
Showgirl3

 

[showgirl3]

And how old should chicks be to put them ina coop when on average this year it has been 50 degrees? I have a silkie and an ameracauna

 

[red horse ranch]

I need help! I have chicks that are eight weeks old and hens that are about a year older, how do I put the babies in the coop without them getting pecked. When I put the birds in last year the older ones pecked the other ones and they were only a week older! any advice? anyone?
Thanks,
Showgirl3

I usually don't try to integrate young ones into the flock until they are around 3 months old. But I sell a lot of 8 week old chicks and I advise my customers to have a place the little ones can escape to such as a small fenced in area the older hens can't get into. Sometimes just a small dog carrier or box that only the little ones can get into. A separate pen inside the coop works well to keep them separate but where they can get used to each other. But I know this isn't always possible.

 

[Nightbird1001]

We got three chicks last year when we already had 8 adults I started introducing them when the babies started feathering out.
At first we did short intros then after about 2 weeks we where able to let all of them free range together (mind you the chicks where in a safe place when we couldn't watch them) after another 2 weeks we let them in the coop and run without barriers during the day and at night in a large crate.
For the age of chicks you have now I would think you could keep them in the coop at night in a safe area and in possible let them free range with the adults but if you can't free range.
I would suggest creating a safe shaded place for them outside inside the adults run. when I first let the chicks in with the adults I fed the adults a treat so that they would see the babies but be more interested the food. After that we watched them really close.
100% success with no pecking (other establishing a pecking order) and no deaths.
I would think this method would work even better with your older chicks.
hope this helped although I'm thinking that some of it won't make sense (horrible with grammar, punctuation, etc.)