When to turn new chicks in with hens?

[middle TN Nancy]

The chicks are good sized, 7 weeks old now. They have been WITH the hens but separated by wire for about 5 weeks. Are they big enough to mingle with the 5 hens? I will arrange some places where they can hide/get away from the hens, like firewood constructs, boards, pallets, etc., that the hens are too big to access.

 

[Yardmom]

Yes, the chicks can be put in with the hens. Hens generally don't bother chicks. The older the pullets the more the hens decide to enforce their dominance.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Yes, I'd begin letting them interact immediately, to take advantage of the fact that they're still smaller and quicker than the hens which makes it easier for them to run away or take cover somewhere.

 

[K0k0shka]

That's about the age when I usually let mine mingle, too. If I brood in the house, I take them outside behind a divider so the flock can see them, at around 5 weeks old, and after 2 weeks behind the divider, I open the gate and let them mingle, supervised at first. There will be some enforcing of pecking order, but as long as there's no blood or plucked feathers, and the chicks have things to hide behind/under/around (without getting trapped there), it's good enough.

 

[middle TN Nancy]

Thanks, everyone! I will set up some low structures and turn them in with the big girls this weekend!

 

[Ralph_Mueller]

I would say that as long as they haven't been showing unusual signs of territorial behavior towards the new chicks, it should be relatively safe to integrate them. A caveat to that might be if you have marans birds or other varieties that are notorious for habitually pecking their flock members. All in all just monitor them closely for a while after integration. That being said, there is always going to be some amount of pecking order rivalry but, that's Chickens for you.