Which coop?

[Gary palmer]

I have a situation where I have a flock with mixed ages. I didn't realize what trouble I was creating but here I am. I have 20 birds about a year old. They are in the main coop with two chicks that were hatched by mamma. The 1 yr olds don't bother the babies who are about 5 weeks old scince momma bird let them know. She doesn't care for them anymore but they seem to be well with the flock. Then there are two other chicks that I had to raise in my house for a month because they hatched 4 days after the first two. I also have 11 birds that are about 9 weeks old that I keep in a separate smaller coop. Btw all birds are free range. I've been working on integrating the 2 chicks i raised inside with the teenagers. Not going fantastic and the two seemed constantly terrified. I've had them out there for all most a week. The last two nights they've tried to crash in the big coop with the full grown flock. My question is , are they safer with the 1 yr olds or the teenagers? I do find it adorable that at night they try to jump in my hand for me to bring them inside but my wife isnt having it.

 

[clamccauley]

Did they finally go in with the big girls or are they with the younger ones? I have a hard time introducing a small number to big group no matter what the ages. I would have suggested the younger ones but only because they may not have a strong pecking order already in place.