Need Help: How To Introduce Chicks To Flock

[Uncle Marc]

We have 11 hens that are 2 1/2 years old. We purchased new baby chicks from a local Amish farm and have raised them in a small brooder box. They are now about 8 weeks old. They will soon be on grower ration and off of the starter food.

The existing flock occupies the main part of the coop and the run. I am not sure how and when to introduce the chicks to the hens.

The chicks will need to be on grower food while the hens will stay on layer rations. Also, I am worried about cross contamination (I think all are healthy) and the pecking order thing.

What can anybody tell me about how we might accomplish this successfully?

Here are some pictures of our coop and the run underneath.

 

[hxgumdrop]

Add the newbies into the coop at night, this is less stressful and easier to integrate with the others.
The hens cant eat the same food as the younger ones, this will make it easier than feeding them seperatly. I did this with my hens when i had chicks and hens managed fine and had no change on egg laying or quality.
If chicks are healthy and no signs of illness or dirty bottoms on either hen or chicks they will be fine going in together.
I put my chicks out in the coop as soon as they no longer needed a heat lamp.
They will all sort out the pecking order on their own newbies tend to end up at the bottom but they will figure it out pretty quickly