When do I incorporate the chicks to the adult flock? Help for a newbie?

[agary]

Hello all!!! I am really new to all this and was given an adult flock of 10 hens (4BR and 6BO), they are about 1-1 1/2 years old- we also got 15 chicks who are a whopping 10 weeks old now (10 RIR, 2 BR, 2 bantams, and a BSL), the only roo is one of our RIR chicks, they are about 2/3 the size of the big hens and have been living outdoors for about 2 weeks in the 'chicken hospital' inside the coop (it is wired off so big hens can't pick on them but they can get used to seeing each other, and during the day they stay in a run inside the big hens run so they can see each other there too... my bantams (at least we thought they were bantams, now thinking they may be phoenix pullets?) are so much tinier then the hens, all of them, they don't get picked on much by the fellow chicks but will my adult hens hurt them?-

Also, when i incorporate them what do i feed them all to keep egg production up and not harm the chicks when i do incorporate them?

When do I add them all to the same coop and run?
Am I doing this right?... does anyone have any suggestions as I have read and read on here and still am so confused

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Sounds like you're doing alright to me. If the chicks have been living beside the hens for 2 weeks, I'd go ahead and try mixing them. You'll still have some pecking/chasing as the hens tell the chicks where they are in the pecking order, but it shouldn't be bad. If it looks like things are getting out of hand, just remove them and try again after a few days. If they're still being bad when you put the chicks back, you may have to wait until the chicks are about the same size as the hens. Then they should be able to defend themselves.

Feed them all starter/grower with oyster shells on the side. The hens will pick thru the shells as they need them. Good luck