When can chicks live with older chickens?

[CozyDia]

I have 4 chicks from TSC that are 4-5 weeks old and they have been sleeping over inside the chicken coop within a playpen reinforced with hardware cloth for a week now. I have only one older hen whos about 1 year old. At what point can I safely let the chicks out of the playpen to hang out and free range with my hen?

Another question is when can I safely clip my chick's wing to prevent them from flying over to my neighbor's yard? I want to let them free range with my hen, but their quite skittish and flighty, so I'm worried they might fly over the fence and into the neighbor's backyard who have unleashed dogs that would most likely maul them.

 

[nuthatched]

I'd give it another week separated and see how it goes. you can clip the flight feathers on a wing once their wings are all the wall in, which should be soon.

 

[BDutch]

I would make a few openings in the playcoop where the chicks can hide from the adult hen if they get bulied.
Edited spelling

 

[aart]

I'd be very careful trimming juveniles wings, they get 2-3 new set of feathers before around 6 months, you don't want to cut a blood feather.

I start chick integration with tiny doors:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

 

[CozyDia]

Alright I'll leave them inside their playpen for another week before releasing them into the covered run! The playpen comes with a small door that they can go in if their bullied.

Yeah I'm scared of trimming their wings and rather not have to do it, but its for their safety. I'll give it another week after they been released in the run to see if their wings are fully in yet before I let them free range in the backyard.

 

[trudyg]

I would make a small opening so chicks can go back and forth and bigger chickens can't. Also, I would put things the chicks can hide under/in. I use milk crates with open end on the ground, brick with lattice or wire shelving laid over it or even just a tote lid propped up. Anything to break the line of sight between aggressor and chick. they learn fast and I've never had an aggressor do more than chase.

 

[Ursuline Chick]

I have 13 chicks around that age, although they could fly over my fence if they wanted to, the hens don't do it, so I don't think the chicks know they can. I would wait until the chicks are older or put something on the top of the fence to make it higher to keep the chicks from flying over.

 

[trudyg]

I have 13 chicks around that age, although they could fly over my fence if they wanted to, the hens don't do it, so I don't think the chicks know they can. I would wait until the chicks are older or put something on the top of the fence to make it higher to keep the chicks from flying over.

 

[trudyg]

I've extended my fence higher a few times. I get those thin stick for staking tomatoes (aluminum tubes wrapped in vinyl?) and thread them through the fencing--make them stick up about 3 feet or so (my fence is 4', so up to about 7'). then, get some of that very lightweight bird netting that you spread over blueberry/cherry trees and thread that over these poles. I bought a roll of that netting at Lowe's for like $12 and it's 6' wide by 50' long, so I cut it to fit. Easy to put on and easy to remove.

 

[Ursuline Chick]

7' is a pretty good height. I might let them out while you can watch, maybe with a broom that you can poke up if the try to fly over. And see what happens, as they get larger, as long as they don't exercise those flight muscles, it will become harder for them to fly high or for long ways.