Turn em loose or keep em close

[angelkmartin]

I got 6 chics and have been keeping them in a 75 ga aquarium at night and when raining. I have been moving them to an enclosed area in front of the porch. I love watching them and always being able to see them. They are growing fast and have most of their feathers. Obviously the aquarium is getting small. Should I move them to the coop out back? It's just and old shed that I enclosed with wire. No run, no sunshine. I also feed my other rooster and 3 hens in it. Normally I leave it open so others can go in and out. So, if I close chics in my others won't have acess and I do have one hen laying inside. So what to do?

 

[thecrumbler]

So your other chickens are free range I take it? Younger chickens won't have as much experience with predators if they're running rampant in your area - however if your rooster catches wind of a host of new chickens, he'll probably want to add them to his flock, putting them under his protection as well. If there are roosters with your chicks, they'll undoubtedly at least at some point have a fight for King of the Coop with your current rooster. A laying hen is probably not going to want to have a bunch of youngster chickens in her area. Has your rooster seen your new babies? Is there anyway you could introduce them to eachother (where they can preferably see and not touch eachother at first)?