Integrating new chicks

[Colton200456]

Hello,
This is my first time owning chickens and joining this site!
I have one small question I hope someone could answer for me:
I own two four week old Barred Plymouth Rocks and two four week old White Leghorns that live together in the came cage.
Today my mom bought two more chicks, they are about half a week old Rhode Island Red. Im sure they are too far apart right now to keep them together in the same cage, But how should I go about introducing all six together? I took them out and cleaned the cage while keeping a close eye on them all together and they played together and there wasn't very much pecking, but I would rather not risk having them in the same cage at night and while I'm not at home when they have this big of a size difference.

Any help will be surely appreciated thank you all!
Colton

 

[GreatBreeder]

If they were fine and playing, they should be fine. Anyway, they're chicks, best now before they might get aggressive. Also being those island reds, they should fare well as the breed is not the nicest.

 

[Colton200456]

Thank you for the opinion. Really, I didn't know RIR's are mean. I always read that they were nice.

 

[Peeps61]

Hi - I think you should put them together now. I had/have a total of 31 chicks from this spring and an incubator hatch to raise and integrate. I've found that chicks blend much better before they are around 6 weeks old, than after that. Once they are past the 5 to 6 week point, they have made their own flock and you'll have some integration issues. As long as your little ones have a place where they can go hide that the others can't get to them, they should be fine and will begin to integrate without problems after a day or two. RIR's are a very assertive breed, so I think that they'll hold up just fine. I have a group of 8 week olds (Easter Eggers) in my outside chicken tractor that I am going to let out to free range with my adults and young pullets that have been previously integrated since April. I expect a little pecking and chasing, but overall, my integrations have all been fairly smooth since they are in a see but no touch situation before I turn them out together. Let us know how it goes!

 

[Gorman Farm]

Put em together within the next few days as soon as you are sure the new ones are healthy. Keep an eye on them for the first few hours, remember even chicks have a pecking order, as long as they are not over bullying the smaller ones they should be fine.

 

[GreatBreeder]

Thank you for the opinion. Really, I didn't know RIR's are mean. I always read that they were nice.

RIRs are know aggressively by some and know better by others.

 

[Colton200456]

Hey everyone just a small update.
During the day I have the 1 week olds in the tub around the older chicks' cage. Right now they're all together without any barriers. The Barred Rocks seem to not have an issue with them, the Leghorns are doing all the pecking and dragging. Now the BR and Leghorns are in the corner laying together and the RIR's are together chirping away from the other four.