what age should I introduce chicks to older chickens?

[lacymarie0526]

Right now I have a 16 wk old hen and a 16 wk roo. I have 5 babies coming on friday. I know they will stay in the house until 8 wks but then what? will they be old enough to fend for themselfs then? or should I put up a barrier?

 

[I have WHAT in my yard?]

NO one answered that question and it is one I wanted to post! Some one come along and elucidate for us newbies!

I have 3 4 to 5 month old chicks and a new batch of one month old babies. I am keeping the babies quarantined for one month. When and how can I introduce them to the older three?

 

[MissPrissy]

The chicks need to be kept away from the older chickens until they are near the same size. Your older chickens can kill them when they are small. They need to be big enough to fight back and survive the attacks that will come. This is generally around 16 weeks old.

Brood your chicks separately. At about 14 weeks put them in a pen where the other chickens can see and hear them but can't get to them. After about 2 weeks turn them in together but watch carefully that the older chickens don't harm them. There will be some pecking and squabbling as the pecking order is established.

You want to keep your eyes out for the newer chickens to be hiding or cowering away from the older chickens. You want to be sure they are eating and drinking. The older chickens can and will attempt to starve them out of the flock.

Most times you can integrate smoothly.

 

[LazyGirl]

If you only have 2 older chickens now, they may be able to be introduced much earlier and be protected since the little ones will outnumber the older ones.
I only know that this winter i raised 25 chicks in my basement and by January (and 7 mo pg) I couldn't do it any more, so at 12 weeks they went out with my 1 yr olds. But I only had 6 one yr olds, and 25 pullets. They didn't get messed with since they dominated by sheer volume!