When to integrate 2. Week old chicks with 7 week old chicks?

[Albanese07]

I have 2 - 7 week old pullets and they are full time out in the coop. We decided to add 2 more so we now have 2- 2 week old chicks in the brooder. When would be a good time to integrate them? I was thinking of waiting til the 2 week olds were about 6 weeks old then putting them n at night like I've read about on here. My coops fully enclosed and they are not free ranging.
Another question- should I add more space to my coop? I was thinking of making it a double decker. And adding a ramp. Or should I just make it a double decker and have 2 separate spaces for each pair with no ramp?
Any info would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[kipper]

Put them together as soon as you can, the older birds are at an age where they will likely be or start being mean to younger birds. Or, wait until they are about the same size to see fireworks. I'm not sure which would work better. I would hang around and break up any fights. Do you have a rooster to act as referee?

 

[Albanese07]

No rooster- just the four girls! It's pretty warm here and I just don't know if I should keep the babies in the brooder inside for a few more weeks because it seems too soon to put them in the coop. But by then it may be harder to integrate. All though now the babies can't even begin to defend themselves.

 

[Albanese07]

Im thinking of adding an extra nest box to the coop and adding the chicks when fully feathered. This would give them enough nesting room and I would add them at night. Is this a good idea? Anyone?

 

[Albanese07]

Hubbys Adding extra nest boxes

 

[MontanaMomma]

you could put a "safe place" in- a box or fenced area that the chicks can get into but not the grown ups. my coop/run is separated from main yard by a picket fence. the chicks can go between the coop/yard and our yard as they choose because they fit between the pickets. this works VERY well for integrating.

 

[Albanese07]

We really don't have room for that. I think adding nesting space is about all we can do, and hope for the best!

 

[MontanaMomma]

your safe place can also be a box with a small opening in it. doesn't have to take up much space. i have enclosed a nesting box for this purpose in the past, leaving a small opening for the chicks to come and go, get food, roost, etc. then uncovered the box when they started roosting with the big girls. good luck!

 

[Albanese07]

Thank you! The chicks are feathering out pretty fast. I'm thinking 2-3 more weeks then I'll integrate them, at night. I've read on here that if you add them to the nesting box at night the older ones accept them better- we will see! I'm really nervous about this. I don't want to loose a chick. Or 2!
My older 2 seem pretty happy in the coop and I just hope they don't act too territorial towards the younger ones!

 

[MontanaMomma]

The first nights they spend outside (alone, cold and helpless, I'm sure) are hard. But it gets easier every time.

I have two 5 week olds in the coop full time now, sleeping in an enclosed nest box and eating on the other side of the run fence (they fit through the pickets, but the grown ups don't). They aren't roosting at all yet and I don't want them on the floor during below freezing nights, so the nest box arrangement works well for us. When they don't fit through the pickets anymore... they are all growed up. sniff sniff