Introducing new chicks to 5 month old hens

[Stickle5301]

So I started out with 4 RIR and 2 Isa. One I believe got snatched so I'm minus a RIR. My coop could house 15 hens comfortably with room to spare and they have a 20 x 20 ft covered run. I wanted to add 6 more chicks to my girls but am struggling with how I want to introduce the new babies. I've read the best way is the see but no touch method. I thought about keeping them secluded inside for maybe.. 3 ish weeks then introducing them throughout the day to the girls. Someone at tsc (which the guys I usually talk to there are very knowledgeable, I honestly dont know about the girl I spoke with) recommended just adding them in to the coop and my hens would not really have much to do with them?

I would like to add them as quickly as possible to my flock but also think its inhumane to throw them out there at 3 days old and be like ✌ hope ya make it. Lol.

Looking at maybe some australorps?

 

[Joalla]

Definitely don’t just chuck them in there unless you’re putting them under a broody, haha. This article has a good rundown of how to do the introduction.

 

[Stickle5301]

That's why I was thinking about keeping them inside. Its 85-90 here til end of summer usually so at 3 weeks I think theyd be fine. Maybe put a vertical heater out there for the next 2 weeks or so.

 

[Killyhawker]

I always put my 5wk old chicks out into the weathering yard(chicken run), in a top enclosed dog kennel that has an opening for them to escape from being picked on. It is also warm here—50+ degrees at night. Their own food, water, perches, etc. now that they have been together for almost a month, when I did the deep clean, I put a small caged area in the corner of the last picture. That way they still have an escape area being so small. Mine aren’t really bullies, but I don’t want to give them a chance. The newest chicks are a silkie and d’Ucclé, so they are very slow growers and still very petite at nine weeks old.