How do you introduce your baby chicks into the flock? 
At the time of writing this, mine are still in the brooder box.
I’ve got a grow out pen built into the coop.
Once they have the first set of feathers, they don’t have any of that baby fluff anymore, they graduate from the brooder to the grow out pen. 
This helps them to get introduced to the flock in a safe way while they continue to grow.
The grow out pen has two wire windows inside the pen that have screen on it which look out into the run.
These screen windows go all the way down to the floor allowing the babies and flock to see each other
It enables them to visit and get used to each other…
Get used to the smell of each other
Get comfortable with each other.
So that when I let them out, they don’t really give each other a hard time, other than reworking the pecking order.
Other people have done it using a wire dog cage, and that works as well.
I did that before I had the grow out pen built.
The trick, is to get the two groups of birds comfortable with each other.
I’ve heard to put them together at night because they’re more accepting if they wake up in the morning and just find the newbies there.
I’ve tried it both ways, at night and in the morning, and I really didn’t see much of a difference.
So I’m not sure if that’s an old wives tale, or if there’s really anything to it.
But you definitely need to give them time to get used to each other through a safe screen or caged wall.
I leave the babies in the grow out pen for about eight to ten weeks
I won’t let them out into the flock until they’ve grown big enough that they’re about the same size as my smallest hen that’s out in the flock.
That way, they’re pretty much the same size, and that helps with figuring out the pecking order because then they won’t gang up and pick on the little guy.
So if you’re starting out with your first batch of chicks that will need to be introduced to your flock,
Create a safe pen or cage for an introduction phase.
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