Introducing Chicklettes to the Chick-a-doodles

[Leavingegypt]

I just started keeping chickens this year. I basically have two flocks, one group is made of 3 Prod. Reds & 2 BO (one a roo) all are 19+ weeks. My second group is 6 Ameruacana/EEs (3 of each) at 7+ weeks old.
My younger birds are kept in the "Summer house" a sheltered run that detaches from my main coop. It is wired walled so they can see out all the time. My older ones are free ranged all day and go to bed at night in the coop.
The Chick-a-Doodles (older ones) have been talking to and checking out the younger ones for some time now, about 4 weeks. They of course are seperated by wire, so no real pecking can occur. When do you think would be a good time to integrate the two groups? My property is 1.5 acres mostly heavily wooded. There are numerous hiding places under porches, trees, out buildings etc. for each group to hang out in.

 

[greenckick]

I too have two flocks at the moment. The big girls (one Dominique and one BO) and the roo, George are 26 weeks old and the new girls (2 RIR, 2 Partridge Rocks, and 2 Buckeys) are 12 weeks old. The big girls spend the day in the playpen till we get home and then free-range. The new girls are in the chicken tractor with a run.
We kept the chicken tractor close to the play pen the first couple weeks to introduce the groups. Just like you have been doing. At the point you are at now we let them free-range together and we have not had too many problems. They are still basically 2 flocks they don't hang out together, except when the big girls so in the tractor to steal food (one of the problems). The roo attempts to mount the little ones but since there is no chicken to jump onto he just falls off and gives up pretty quick (the other little problem).

The advice I got here was to wait to integrate them in the same coop until they are more the same size. They free range fine, like I said they stay seperate but I hope the free range time together helps when it is time to lock them all in the same coop together. Plus George is leaving this week so without him protecting his hens so hard maybe the girls will get together.

Good Luck!

 

[WilcoxChickens]

This actually answered the question that I had about introducing my chicks (5 Amerucaunas) to my year old ladies (4 Black Sex Link and 2 RI Reds). I kept my chicks in the house until they were bigger but they have been in the coop with the older ones for a few weeks now. My hubby built a little pen right inside the coop because they were just getting too big for the house and needed to go outside. I keep wanting to let them out together to see what happens but I'm worried about the little ones getting pecked on. It's happened a few times already

I'll just follow the advice that was given and was repeated in this post about waiting until they are about the same size to actually allow the younger ones to be in the coop with the older ones without the pen in there as well.

Thanks!!