Introducing new chickens 1 or two weeks?

[EvansMeXo]

Hello all you lovely chicken people! I currently have a flock of 9 free ranging chickens. Last Friday morning I picked up 3 10-week old pullets (splash marans!) anyways, I divided my coop in half so the new pullets were locked in the coop and couldn't get out, but my flock could still come and go as they please (chicken wire dividing them). So I have a few concerns about introducing them:
1) my flock is literally only in the coop over night, they hang out by the house and in the bushes during the day, an hour before bed they go up near the coop but they don't actually go in until bedtime.
So would 1 week be long enough for the new chickens to be seen but not accessed? Or should I go with 2 weeks?

2. My next question is if you lovely people think the one week is okay and tomorrow I should let them out, how would you go about doing this?? Should I take down the wall after I let the flock out in the morning and see what they do? Should I slowly add my existing chickens to the other side so they all love eachother??

See my fear is I'll let them out and my current flock will run them off and not let them return to the coop at bedtime.. thoughts?

 

[MagpieDucks]

Try this. Put you gentlest friendliest chicken in their with them. You may need to make their area bigger so they can run depending on the size of the enclosure. If that goes well you can try the next friendliest chicken. Keep going up the totem pole. Have an area where the chicks can go but the adults can't.

Or...

You could try introducing them while the flock is free ranging and see how that goes. Even if you have to keep them in a cage? Then keep them separated at night.

They still seem quite young to be introduced. Would you be able to set up an outdoor enclosure for them so they aren't locked up in their coop all day?

What breeds are your 9 hens?

Hopefully someone else will chime in.

 

[EvansMeXo]

Sorry I should have clairified that their all 10-16weeks old! I haven't introduced any new ones to them for 9 weeks, and they're have been no new editions since they moved into the coop. I have a mixed flock
EE/RIR mix, chantecler, cream legbar, white leg horn, red sex link, black copper maran, easter eggers.. I like your idea of putting the nicest one in first to see how it goes.. I can give them the run of the whole coop and starting adding the others one by one over time and then let them all out to free range at the end

 

[EvansMeXo]

Oh and their not all hens, I have 3 cockerels seeking their new homes, which is why I got some females to replace them

 

[Mrs. K]

The original birds and the new birds are close to the same age and size, am I reading that right? You currently have 15 birds, but are going to remove 3 roosters sometime soon. You only have a coop, but no run if I have this right?

I would wait until you get rid of the roosters, and then let out the older birds, then let out the new birds. The new birds will be last to go into the coop at night, but I think that the new birds will go there and not run away. I have never locked new birds in a coop. I have locked them in a coop/run set up, but once they have roosted in there, chickens like to roost with other chickens, even mean chickens most of the time.

I would just do all the change at once. For me, it makes the introduction of new birds easier, when everyone is kind of discombobulated.

Mrs K

 

[EvansMeXo]

Thanks! I have 12 total with these 3, 9 old 3 new. I have 2 the same age as these 3 but the new ones seem really petite.
I'm hoping once they start mixing with the flock they'll sleep on roosts, they currently sleep on the floor and when I try to move them they run in terror!
I'm so used to my chickens running too me in excitement for treats but even going out multiple times a day with treats for them their terrified of me!
I'll try what you suggested and just do it all at once. I had my first 9 in it for 2 weeks before free ranging bc that's what I read online to not let them free range or into a run for 1-2 weeks so they return to the coop.
My main worry about letting these 3 out is that they'll be bullied and won't come back.

 

[Mrs. K]

If they are sleeping on the floor, makes me think that they are younger.

 

[EvansMeXo]

If they are sleeping on the floor, makes me think that they are younger.

Do you think?? This flock is my first so I'm still learning.. their fully feathered but it would make them 11 weeks now and their still sleeping on the floor. My black copper maran cockerel is a week younger than what their supposed to be and he's allt bigger, but I'm thinking it's because he a rooster?? Imgoing out to the coop to open it up now I'll take a couple pictures of them