Introduscing chicks that are 6-8wks old

[Lisa2222]

I have 2 hens (rhode island red and australap) which just laid their first eggs yesterday. I have 6-8 wk babies, two that are very large and are outgrowing the brooder area, one blue wyndotte and one barred rock. The silkies are still small and for some reason I have a runt for a blue-red wyndotte as she is the tinest out of the 5. Anyway, my older hens range my yard during the day. Do you think it would be ok to let the bigger two range with the older ones and then have them start roosting with the big girls and later introduce the other small 3. Or would it be better to wait and have the new 5 meet the other 2 all in one day?

 

[Den in Penn]

I'd put them in a pen during the day where the older ones range for a week or so, letting them get to know each other. After a week let them all range together under supervision at first. If you can partition the coop into two and put the younger ones in there for the night it would help. Ranging together and sleeping in separate areas of the coop will definitely introduce them. At fourteen to sixteen weeks weeks they should be getting along well enough to take the partition down.