Looking for Advice!! Introducing the best way….

[Backyard101]

I currently have nine, 6 week old chicks, moving into the coop shortly. I am getting two more 6 week old chicks. Question is how can I introduce them. Do I still follow the same cage inside the coop method and let them feel everything out? Or since they are pretty young is it easier to slide them inside at night. Any advice is appreciated!

 

[Pigeony]

At 6 weeks old, I would personally just put them together after a brief quarantine to make sure the incoming birds aren't noticeably sick. Young chickens are more naive and less harsh on outsider chickens, they might be a little weird about the newbies at first but they'll probably just mesh into the group quickly and all be a baby flock together. It's when they're around 2-3 months old that they start to get more clique-y with their chicken group.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Since they're the same age I would put them together in the coop or run and then supervise a bit, assuming you feel confident enough to skip quarantine (i.e. they're coming from the same place you got the others, coming from a trusted friend, etc.) Younger birds don't have as strict a pecking order as older ones so I'd want to take advantage of that and have them together as soon as possible.