Introducing 5 week chicks to flock?

[OzarkChooks]

I have a group of 5 week old chicks and they are FAR too big for the brooder. Is it too early to introduce them to my flock of 5 month old chickens?

 

[Ridgerunner]

At five weeks weather is not a concern if you are anywhere near the Ozarks.

What do you have to work with out there? There are different ways to approach it. I have no idea what your coop(s) or run(s) look like or how big they are so it's real hard for me to make any specific suggestions.

Training them where to sleep is one issue. Usually we suggest you house them across wire for a while before you let them at each other, but if they free range that may not be necessary but you have the where they sleep question.

Is it too early? I typically have mine roaming with the adults and sleeping in the main coop with the adults by five weeks. But you are starting too late to do that. I start at hatch. And I have a lot of room, not sure you do.

 

[OzarkChooks]

Yes it is very hot in the Ozarks right now, they definitely don't need their heater!

My husband is in the process of fencing in an area for our chickens, so for now they are free ranging. We have the chicks in a modified play pen outside and then at night we bring them back to the brooder. They are just so big now that I can't keep them in the brooder.
So far our hens seem uninterested in them, but the rooster rushes the pen and seems somewhat aggressive towards them. I kept hearing that they should be the same size before you integrate them, that's why I was curious if 5 weeks is too young.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I have over 3,000 square feet fenced in for the chickens. My main coop is 8' x 12' and what I call my grow-out coop is 4' x 8' with a fenced in run that is 8' x 12'. If I were in your situation I'd put the chicks in my grow-out coop and let them live in the run during the day where the older ones could see them and let them sleep in that grow-out coop at night. After I was sure they would return to that grow-out coop at night to sleep I'd let them roam in the same area the others are in. I'd expect them to stay away from the adults but I'd also expect the adults to leave them alone. The first day or two if the young chicks approach the older ones they may get run off but they should learn really quickly to stay away.

After they have proven they can avoid being attacked by the older ones by ranging sort of together for a couple of weeks I might try moving them into the main coop with the adults. But I'd be patient about that.

It doesn't sound like that playpen is a safe place for them to sleep at night. Can you create a predator safe place for them to sleep and where the five month olds can see them during the day? When you let them out to roam, it can help to have a few widely scattered feeding and watering places so the young can eat and drink without being bullied by the older ones. Since yours are free ranging they are probably foraging for a lot of their food but an extra place to eat can keep things more peaceful.