Integrating new chicks to a flock

[aart]

because I thought having two developmental ages would be easier to manage than three.

It is.
Have done 3 age groups once, never(probably) again.

 

[Stephanie8806]

It is.
Have done 3 age groups once, never(probably) again.

Noted!

 

[rosemarythyme]

It is.
Have done 3 age groups once, never(probably) again.

x2. Regularly see posts on here from folks who've gotten chicks here and there and oh there's adult birds too, and it's a mess trying to juggle all the different age/sizes.

Like some others I also do early integration (my article is linked off aart's article which was posted earlier) and I feel that's the most "natural" integration short of using a broody, as the adult birds don't react to young chicks as territorial threats the way they do older chicks/teens. It also takes advantage of the fact that chicks are much smaller, so that you can provide safe space that only they can get into if they need protection from the adults.