Is 3 weeks too early to introduce

[EddieSalita]

I have 5 cinnamon queen chicks that are 3 weeks old. For the last week they have been spending the daytime in a 3 metre by 6 metre run within the larger chicken run. The 10 existing hens are about 9 months old (mix of australorp, white leghorn and rhode Island red) and are quite curious about them. Very friendly and tame birds. There have been a couple little pecks through the mesh but otherwise they are a pretty peaceful happy flock. The little ones are itching to get out and be with them.

Is it too early to let them mix them for a while supervised? I don't want to buy trouble when I can avoid it for free. But I see people waiting too long also and having injuries.

 

[DobieLover]

No, it is not too early.
Make 2 or 3 chick sized doors in their pen so they can get out but the larger birds cannot get in. Make sure there are multiple water and food sources and lots and lots of clutter in the main run so they all can jump up on perches or pallets or old wood chairs/stools and have substrate on the floor of the run to scratch around in.
Then open the doors and monitor. You may want to leave the large birds in the coop when you first do this so that the littles can come out through the new doors and explore the new space before the bigs join them.

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

No, it is not too early.
Make 2 or 3 chick sized doors in their pen so they can get out but the larger birds cannot get in. Make sure there are multiple water and food sources and lots and lots of clutter in the main run so they all can jump up on perches or pallets or old wood chairs/stools and have substrate on the floor of the run to scratch around in.
Then open the doors and monitor. You may want to leave the large birds in the coop when you first do this so that the littles can come out through the new doors and explore the new space before the bigs join them.

Looking to do this in thebbext few days with 3wkers. Thank you for the suggestion of leaving the olders in their coop for a bit!

 

[rosemarythyme]

No, it is not too early.
Make 2 or 3 chick sized doors in their pen so they can get out but the larger birds cannot get in. Make sure there are multiple water and food sources and lots and lots of clutter in the main run so they all can jump up on perches or pallets or old wood chairs/stools and have substrate on the floor of the run to scratch around in.
Then open the doors and monitor. You may want to leave the large birds in the coop when you first do this so that the littles can come out through the new doors and explore the new space before the bigs join them.

x2 all of this, though I've never had to coop up the older birds before letting the little ones loose. However I do have a split run which functions similarly in that I can fully exclude the adults from half the space while the chicks have a look around.

With the chick sized openings, I train them to use the openings before any adults meet them. It doesn't take much, herd them gently in and out of the openings a few times so they learn they can take shelter in their pen/brooder.

More info on how I set up for early integration here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/short-on-time-recycle-a-prefab-brooder.73985/

 

[EddieSalita]

Fantastic..... thanks for the tips. They had a good run around today. They have heaps of hidey holes. I might do this a few more days at most and them them meet properly. The little ones are raring to be a part of the flock,.