Integrating three ages of chicks.

[Appalachickens]

Okay, I know this wasn't the most well-thought out chicken acquisition plan, but so it goes. I have four five-week-old chicks who just moved to a dog crate that is open to an area that includes an A-frame brooder with four 1-week old chicks. The older one are very curious and frequently watch the little ones through the chicken wire. The older ones spend part of every day in the coop/run and should be ready to move out there in a week or so. To complicate things, my original order of 6 chicks from McMurray arrive next week, so they'll be 10-14 days younger than the middle set. My question: How (and when) do I safely merge all these chicks? Here's the current set-up.

And this is the look-but-no-touch part:

 

[nuthatched]

The oldest chicks can go out to the coop if it's ready and the youngest chicks can mingle, as their only a few days apart.

 

[Appalachickens]

The oldest chicks can go out to the coop if it's ready and the youngest chicks can mingle, as their only a few days apart.

We have a week of rain and cold coming, so I’m waiting to move the older ones the following week. But then I’m not sure how to move the littles when it’s time.

 

[puch]

I have 4 different age of chicks:
4:9weeks old, 6:7 weeks old. they joined together, when younger ones are two weeks old. first couple hours watch close. make sure no server pecking. fine with hours. they are in coop now.

6 of 5 weeks old, 2 of 3 weeks old. they joined together when younger two were 2 weeks old. watch closely, stop any bird peck on younger ones. 6 are black sex links, a little hard in the begining. cause one or two BSL did evil thing. one night, they were fine. only thing is BSL are so active. two little brightstar green egger could not rest well.

yesterday, Seattle had nice and warm weather. I brought out all 8 younger chicks into the run. at beginning, one or two older bird pecks. I shouted and blocked the behavior. then all the 10 older birds stay together away from the younger ones as if they are the guests. few hours latter, all the birds mixed together.
at night I took the 8 younger chicks out of run into their brooder in the garage

 

[puch]

we will see what will happen when all the birds go to one coop.

 

[Appalachickens]

I have 4 different age of chicks:
4:9weeks old, 6:7 weeks old. they joined together, when younger ones are two weeks old. first couple hours watch close. make sure no server pecking. fine with hours. they are in coop now.

6 of 5 weeks old, 2 of 3 weeks old. they joined together when younger two were 2 weeks old. watch closely, stop any bird peck on younger ones. 6 are black sex links, a little hard in the begining. cause one or two BSL did evil thing. one night, they were fine. only thing is BSL are so active. two little brightstar green egger could not rest well.

yesterday, Seattle had nice and warm weather. I brought out all 8 younger chicks into the run. at beginning, one or two older bird pecks. I shouted and blocked the behavior. then all the 10 older birds stay together away from the younger ones as if they are the guests. few hours latter, all the birds mixed together.
at night I took the 8 younger chicks out of run into their brooder in the garage

The four 2-week olds and six 3-day old chicks have been in the brooder together the past two days and I haven’t seen any sign of aggression. The teenies muscle their way into the food dish and the older ones done seem to mind. I’ve also seen all 10 of them go under the brooder plate together. In a week or so I’ll take them out for a supervised field trip to the brooder to start to get to know their older sisters.