Introducing new chicks

[Spawndn72]

I have read a bunch on introducing new chicks but have not seen my situation covered.
I have three 1 year old chickens. (A blue Wyandotte, a Sicilian buttercup and a Crele Penedesenca)
I have 7 new chicks to introduce. The chicken coop is plenty big for all ten even when they are fully grown and the chicken run is 350 sq ft.

How old should the chicks be before being left alone with the big girls?
We introduced them to each other a couple of days ago and the big chicks seemed to have very little interest in the new chicks.
Right now the new chicks are between 6-8 weeks old. Some are older than the others.

 

[DobieLover]

I have read a bunch on introducing new chicks but have not seen my situation covered.
I have three 1 year old chickens. (A blue Wyandotte, a Sicilian buttercup and a Crele Penedesenca)
I have 7 new chicks to introduce. The chicken coop is plenty big for all ten even when they are fully grown and the chicken run is 350 sq ft.

How old should the chicks be before being left alone with the big girls?
We introduced them to each other a couple of days ago and the big chicks seemed to have very little interest in the new chicks.
Right now the new chicks are between 6-8 weeks old. Some are older than the others.

How did you do the introductions a couple of days ago?
I would set up a large dog crate or similar in the coop with bedding and water inside then secure the door open just large enough for the chicks to come and go but not the hens.
That will give the small ones a safe place to go to escape the hens if they need to.
I would also put "stuff" in the run that the youngsters can hide under or perch on to get away from the hens if they need to.
Put out multiple food and water stations so everyone can eat and drink.
I began chick integration into the flock at 4 weeks old. The chicks stopped going back to their built-in brooder by the time they were 6.5 weeks old and were roosting with the hens and rooster, albeit way at the opposite end of the roost.

 

[Peppercorngal]

Yep, that is what I do too. I open the brooder doors and put wire up that the hens don't fit through. The chicks can leave and run back, while the big chickens cannot. The self integrate that way. The smaller the chicken, the smaller the threat to the big chickens. I have 4 new chicks that are going in and out of the brooder. One of them freaked out one day and ran in circles through the flock. The big hens didn't even flinch! No one cared! Good Luck!

 

[chickens really]

Look no touch. Once you introduce them don't keep removing them either.