Integrating new chicks with slightly older chicks

[Hooverchick]

Please help. In April, we started a new flock of 6 chicks...going great, mostly tame, then disaster!! and we lost 4 of them. We really wanted 6 so we got 4 new chicks. So now I have 2 that are about 3 months old and 4 that are 1 month old. The younger ones are fully feathered now and ready to leave the large tote we had them in. The older ones are in our chicken tractor. I have read that integration is "not pretty". How old do the new ones need to be before we start the process? Thank you for your help. Don't think I can stand much more trauma! Love my girls!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

What breeds do you have? That can make a difference.

Generally, 3 month old birds and 1 month old chicks don't mix well as the older birds tend to haze and bother the small babes...but by 1 month of age, the babes can fly like sparrows and far out maneuver the older birds.

You only have 2 older birds, and 4 babes. If there is plenty of room, and hiding places for small birds that big birds can't get into, it could honestly work as long as your older girls are not aggressive types.

You could attempt to integrate and watch to see if the older birds are too aggressive, or you could subdivide your coop run with a lattice or wire fence to give the littles more room but yet keep them separate from the older 2. That also would help with integration as the younger birds come up to size and can handle full integration.

My thoughts.
LofMc

 

[Pork Pie]

What breeds do you have? That can make a difference.

Generally, 3 month old birds and 1 month old chicks don't mix well as the older birds tend to haze and bother the small babes...but by 1 month of age, the babes can fly like sparrows and far out maneuver the older birds.

You only have 2 older birds, and 4 babes. If there is plenty of room, and hiding places for small birds that big birds can't get into, it could honestly work as long as your older girls are not aggressive types.

You could attempt to integrate and watch to see if the older birds are too aggressive, or you could subdivide your coop run with a lattice or wire fence to give the littles more room but yet keep them separate from the older 2. That also would help with integration as the younger birds come up to size and can handle full integration.

My thoughts.
LofMc

Agreed. Lots of space, multiple feeders and places of refuge are essential for integration. Just a personal thing, but I'd not let them mix for another three weeks or so, but you could start the "look, no touch" approach now. I'd suggest searching integration- there are some good links on the subject. It's very difficult to give direct advice, since we all have different set-ups. I have the links to hand, so let me know if you can't find them.

 

[aart]

This is how I do it:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

 

[Hooverchick]

Thank you all for your insight. I have read several articles but thought that my case might be different since there is less age difference. The 2 older ones are a tetra brown and a isa brown. The babes are a buff orphington, a barred rock, a silver laced wyndotte, and a black australop (sp?). We have two chicken tractors 1 large, 1 small. I think we are going to put the 4 babes in the larger one and the older ones in the small one. Then park them beside each other for a month or 6 weeks when they should be about the same size. Then try to integrate them in the bigger tractor. Young ones will then have the home court advantage. Sound like a plan???

 

[aart]

I have read several articles but thought that my case might be different since there is less age difference

It might, but it's really all about territory and resources(feed/water/space).
Sometimes you just have to try it out and see what happens,
always being flexible with a safe setup ready to go.
You may be able to do some mix and match chicken juggling to speed the process.
There's all kinds of tricks and tips to 'bend' some of their natural behaviors to meet our desires.

How big are these tractors, in feet by feet?
Pics would help immensely.
Are you free ranging at all or have a large run?
Knowing your climate might help too.(add location to profile)