Intergrating pullets - How am I doing?

[ScotianChick]

So I have 12 week old pullets and I need some opinions. I have a smallish coop and have sectioned off part of it and built another smaller roost. I put my 6 pullets in there a week and a half ago for sleeping only (just like my full grown chickens). They are separated from the others by chicken wire. During the day though for the past 3 weeks (I started doing this when they were still in their brooder box), I put them in a pen next to the chicken coop. They are protected from the big chickens but are fed at the same time and given treats at the same time. They have had chances to interact because of this.

But has it been long enough to take down the barriers? I'd like to take down the barriers and let the young ones free range with the big ones (that's all they do, I don't have a run). I'm afraid of chicken drama and that the little ones won't go to the coop at night. I was worried about that when I first had chickens but I guess they turned out fine... The hen at the top of the pecking order is broody and it's really hard not having as much access to her because of the barrier. It makes trying to break her hard.

I do worry about how the big ones will react though. The cockeral is the height of the grown chickens now (not as heavy of course) but I was holding him the other day while he was on the ground and one of my RIR hens tried to attack him while I was holding him. She did that thing the pullets do when they challenge each other. She put her neck feathers up and went at him with her feet. Hurt me more than him I think.

So... how much longer do I leave them the way they are?

 

[ScotianChick]

PS: I have 5 pullets and 1 cockeral, red sex links. My adult chickens are 3 SLWs and 2 RIRs, all female.

 

[Rte.66_chicks]

At 17 weeks they can eat the same food as the older ones, so that is a good time to integrate, and they are pretty much adult sized by then.