Introducing new chicks/ pen & run size?

[FireRooster]

Hi to all, about 3 weeks ago I bought 10 baby chicks from the local TSC. 6-red pullets and 4-sussex ( not sure what they will be yet) I think thats right, still new at all the breeds/names. Anyway, I have them in a nice brooder cage and went ahead and built a coop with the run. Coop is up on leg post 3ft high and measures out 4ft wide,8ft long, and 4ft high in the back and elevates to 5ft high in the front. The run is 10ft x15ft x5 ft high and has complete roof with wire all along the bottom of the coop so they can shade under there. Moving on yesterday I bought 1 bard rock rooster,1 bard rock hen, 1 brauma hen( awesome color), 1 americana hen, and 1 other hen not sure on her exact breed/name. So the 5 full grown chickens are in the coop and everything is great so far, but wandering exactly when( heard around 2 months old) and how to introduce the new babies in with them. Also wandering about my coop/ run size for 15 chickens. I will let them free range eventually, but for now just turn them out in the run during the day and cooped at night. oh and the coop has three nest boxes. Thanks for any info

 

[johncv]

first for your coop. you can go bigger esp if there is fighting. I had 6 baby chicks now they are 3 months old. and i have 1 adult rooster and 6 adult hens. i introduced my babies by getting a cage like a cheap rabbit/hamster cage. i put the babies in there and set the cage in the coop. i put them out at 6 weeks old. after about a week of them being in there i opened the door and they checked out the new coop. the bigger hens at first picked on them but that is just the pecking order. do not get involved in the pecking order unless it gets to bad where blood will draw. my hens just snap at the babies. i also have 2 other babies that are about 1 1/2 month old. i did the same thing for them and everything is good no blood has been drawn and noone fights too bad. my hen house is 8Lx4Wx8H and my run is 15Lx6Wx6H. im extending my even more another 8 ft wide and 15 ft long. In my coop i have 1 rooster, 6 hens, 8 baby chicks, and 2 muscovy ducks. i did have pheasants in there for a few days til i could build their coop and still had no problems.