Hi, Maybe I asked this before. But is it better to introduce some new chicks to the others when your first group is young? Say, 5 months? Or would it be the same challenges when they are a year older?
Introducing new chicks
We usually put young chickens in with older ones when they are 5 to 6 months old. That way they are large enough to fend for themselves. They will still go through the whole pecking order thing but will eventually be incorporated in the group like they were always there.
If I understand you right, your speaking of putting maybe one month old chicks with five month old chicks? If that is the question then I'd sugges you introduce the youngest to the elders when the elders are no older than maybe fourteen weeks old. If you do this when they are five months old, remember the elders are begining to lay about that time and they can be a lot less accepting. Hope that helps some. Haystack