When to introduce my 10 week old chicks to the "flock"?? Help!

[sunnychooks]

Would you be able to put a wire crate or cage into the horse stalls? They'll be able to see each other all day that way.

 

[horsepowerhaven]

That is a really good idea... (dog crate in the horse stall--an empty horse stall of course). I did put them in my coop yesterday for a few hours, and my one hen was ready to lay her egg at one point, so I let her into the coop too. Later the rooster wanted to join and eat some pellets. Niether my adult hen or my rooster seemed to care about the baby chicks being there at all.

I'd like to let the chicks out to run around the yard. So far they have only been in my brooder and then the dog crate, aside from getting into my coop yesterday. If I let them out of their crate to run around my yard, will they go back to the crate on their own? Or will I have to catch them to put them back in (they are not easy to catch).

Thank you!

 

[megalomaniac]

I have nine 13 wk olds and they don't mess with my four 6 week olds while they are free ranging during the daytime in the yard. The 2 groups stay totally separate from one another, however.

Both flocks go back into separate coops at night, however.