When to introduce

[dugue4]

I have 5 adult hens and 2 adult roosters that free range on our property (>5 acres). How old do my barred rock pullets need to be to let them free range? They are in the same run with a partition now and are about 7-8 weeks old now.

 

[chickenlittle21]

I would say when they start laying eggs.

 

[aart]

That's a toughy, smaller birds are not as predator savvy and I'm assuming that they haven't actually shared space with the existing flock.
Do you have two coops attached to the split runs?
2 separate run doors?
Pics of your set up might garner viable solutions.

I don't free range so don't have specific suggestions there,
Except first free ranging might bet best late in day so they don't go too far and you can see if they come back to roost at dusk,
but some of this may still apply....
Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.
Good ideas for hiding places:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

 

[dugue4]

The chicks are in low section area.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

I have 5 adult hens and 2 adult roosters that free range on our property (>5 acres). How old do my barred rock pullets need to be to let them free range? They are in the same run with a partition now and are about 7-8 weeks old now.

I introduced 7 pullets to 5 large breed birds, one cochin hen, one cochin roo, and two brahmas, when the pullets were about 80-90% of their full grown size. They are full grown now and all smaller than the big birds still. They had not started laying eggs, and I think were 16-17 weeks old so they went on layer feed early. They shared a partisan fence and it only took 2-3 days of light scruffles before everyone found their place in the pecking order because they were already used to seeing each other. I think I could have introduced them sooner but I wanted to keep the pullets on growing feed for as long as possible.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Relative to integration with the adults: I raise my brooder-raised chicks in the coop. I used to free rage but stopped after a couple of dog attacks by dogs people dropped off in the country. So I went with a large area inside electric netting. Not free range but still a lot of green space outside. Often I open the brooder door at 5 weeks and walk away. Integration is done. I have lots of room in my coop and lots of room outside. The young and old can easily avoid each other. I have weather that the adults and juveniles can be outside all day every day if they want to. You should also, thanks for including your location. And mine grew up with the flock, I think those are all important.

Sometimes when my coop is pretty crowded, at five weeks I move mine to my grow-out coop. I keep them in there long enough to be confident they will return to that grow-out coop at night, often three weeks. They are across wire from the adults so they are not strangers. Typically at 8 weeks I let them intermix with the adults. They still avoid each other. And they return to that grow-out coop to sleep.

With your set-up I'd let them out now if they've been across wire from the adults for a couple of weeks. Do it when you can observe but I'd expect you to be OK.

Now, for predators. Snakes can eat small chicks. The size of the snake determines the size of the chicken it can eat. If you have those tiny Sebrights even the adults may be at risk from some snakes, dual purpose chicks will outgrow most snakes pretty soon. If the snakes are small enough the chickens will eat them.

A smaller chicken is more of a target for hawks and owls than larger birds. These birds of prey can kill chickens two or three times their own size so chicken size is not a perfect defense against all flying predators but being larger does help against the smaller ones.

Bobcats, foxes, and coyotes are more ambush predators. I'm not convinced that size or experience makes that much difference against these. I've seen a fox pick off an adult chicken from a very experienced free ranging flock without any problems.

Dogs deserve their own paragraph, these have given me more problems than all the others combined. They don't ambush, they just chase them down. They kill for fun so they can kill a lot at a time. If yours are free ranging where they have trees and you have a breed that can fly, they may have some advantages. Some younger chicks can fly better than adults. I don't think that gives younger chickens any real advantages over the adults but I'n not that convinced they are at that much more of a disadvantage than adults. If I had my choice though I'd go with the adults.

When broody hens raise chicks with the flock, at some point they wean them and totally leave them on their own, whether they free range or not. For mine that's typically between 4 and 8 weeks though I've had some earlier and some later. There are some advantages to Mama teaching them things but I don't have big losses from them whether broody-raised or brooder-raised compared to adults.

Any time you free range they are at risk from predators. There is no escaping that. I've had broody-raised chicks at three weeks and brooder-raised chicks at 5 weeks manage that OK. I've lost experienced adults. Are younger smaller birds at more risk? Yes, I think so. But that difference is not enough for me to stop doing it. When I got that electric netting it was for the adults as much as the younger ones.