Hi there, we were given 4, chicks at 3 weeks old (we think they are Isa Brown) and have had them for 2 weeks, so now they've hit 5 weeks. Today we went and picked up 4, 15 week old chickens (Hy-Line) and put them in all together. What a mess, the little chicks went running, because the 15 week olds kept pecking and raising their tallons at them. Now I realize there is a pecking order, but this was really disturbing. We spent most of the day when the chicks were out scratching, on yard duty for their protection. We've put them all to bed now, in the same coop, the chicks in a cage, with feed and water and the older chickens having the run of the coop. If there is anything I can do, to aid in assimilation of a little family, I'd sure appreciate it. Until then, we're going to keep trying to get them to tolerate each other.
How did that work out? I think that you did the best thing possible by putting them in the same area but separated. There's really no other method that I can think of that would work better than what you've done.
I have been told not only by the hatchery but also by some of the old timers around here that if you want to put new chicks in with the older guys that you want to do it at night because they are naturally not aggressive at night. There is a pecking order and i had the same problem but after awhile the chicks learned to stay out of the way of the older hens.