Introducing 3 week chicks to ten week pullet

[BeakoftheRooster]

I have a flock of ten week old chicks. One is a pullet five are cockerels (never buying straight run again). I have to get rid of the cockerels I can’t keep them due to city laws. I have a flock of four three week old pullets. I am trying to introduce the young pullets to the bigger flock. My plan is to have the pullets locked in the run (see photos) while the big flock has access to the whole chicken pen during the day. Then at night I plan to return the chicks at night to their brooder inside. I’ll do this for a few days until I can rehome my cockerels. Then I plan to integrate the one ten week hen with the four three week pullets. Any suggestions? Anything I’m not thinking of?

 

[Mrs. K]

I think you might have a bit of bluster, but I would expect this to go pretty good. The older bird is higher in social order, but there is only one. I would expect her to chase and maybe give a peck to the chicks, to prove her point, but chasing is hard work, and the chicks way out number her, I think she will ignore them most of the time. They will be a sub flock, she will be by herself, until they come into lay - THEN they will be a flock.

You could add a lot more clutter to the big run. Clutter always helps. In the big run, do you see how every bird can see every other bird 100% of the time? I do see a hide out and a low roost, but I think you could use more. Put something in the middle, like a mini wall. Then you can feed on both sides. Birds eating at one place can't see birds eating on the other side.

But I think this will work.

Mrs K