When and how to intergate?

[Harmoni]

I have 2 6ish month old rirs and 2 9.5 week old golden buffs. This is our setup currently. I spread free range feed between to the 2 enclosures twice a day. How long do they need to get acquainted like this? We have had the buffs for almost a week.
My rirs are pretty docile. They are a little aggressive when being hand fed but otherwise I don't really feel they will be aggressive towards the youngins. If anything, I think the youngins are more aggressive lol.
Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[JaeG]

Are you able to let them all out together to do a bit of free ranging? This is a good way to integrate because there's a lot of space for birds to escape being picked on by other birds.

I would keep them separated for a month before trying to put everyone together if they will be in close quarters and you need to ensure you have enough feeding stations that your older birds cannot guard them from the newcomers (because your older birds will consider the run their territory and want to guard their precious resources, ie the food, from any newbies). Add things the young ones can hide behind/under/on top of to the run as well so that they can get away from the older birds.

It usually works out best if you can one night put your new birds on the roosts with the older birds so that in the morning everyone wakes up together. But make sure, if you close up the coop, that you are out there early enough to open it up so that the older ones cannot bully the young ones badly in such close quarters.

 

[Harmoni]

Are you able to let them all out together to do a bit of free ranging? This is a good way to integrate because there's a lot of space for birds to escape being picked on by other birds.

I would keep them separated for a month before trying to put everyone together if they will be in close quarters and you need to ensure you have enough feeding stations that your older birds cannot guard them from the newcomers (because your older birds will consider the run their territory and want to guard their precious resources, ie the food, from any newbies). Add things the young ones can hide behind/under/on top of to the run as well so that they can get away from the older birds.

It usually works out best if you can one night put your new birds on the roosts with the older birds so that in the morning everyone wakes up together. But make sure, if you close up the coop, that you are out there early enough to open it up so that the older ones cannot bully the young ones badly in such close quarters.

The run is 8x10 plus a 6ft triangle area. I was going to try and figure out a divider that is open on the bottom for the little ones to escape to. I currently have 2 waterers, one hanging feeder and one trough feeder. I am going to pickup a second hanging feeder. We will be adding a daytime only run to the secure one in the coming weeks. I would love to let them free range but we have a lot of hawks and our yard isn't very big.
I could definitely put them in the big coop together and leave the coop open.

 

[aart]

I was going to try and figure out a divider that is open on the bottom for the little ones to escape to.

They might be too big for that at 9 weeks, but give it a try.
Might want to add some hiding places.
Good ideas for hiding places:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

For the future:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

 

[Harmoni]

They might be too big for that at 9 weeks, but give it a try.
Might want to add some hiding places.
Good ideas for hiding places:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

For the future:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

We didn't have them until they were 9 weeks. But thank you because I am planning on some hatchlings in the near future

 

[rosemarythyme]

They might be too big for that at 9 weeks, but give it a try.
Might want to add some hiding places.
Good ideas for hiding places:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

For the future:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

x2. At around 8 weeks they're "too big" - anything they can fit through, so can an older bird. My head hen (heaviest bird in the flock) somehow managed to squeeze into a panic opening about 4" wide meant for 4 week olds because she wanted their food.