i integrated mine the same way you are going about it too....about 6-8 weeks i placed the Chicken Wire Crate inside the House at Night, then left it there so Littles would have more familiar refuge...it worked...took Crate out altogether bout week later. There will always be Pecking Order....ours wasn't upsetting....uh....now i have Momma Cuckoo Maran with her week old Baby Chickie and im at a Loss for when to place them with the Flock....its s'posed to be easier with Momma...apparently.....
The run being so narrow is a problem. You really need some clutter to break up the space but it's going to be difficult with the width - look for items with smaller footprints like kid size patio furniture or things that could lean against the fence, like a pallet. Do you ever let the older girls out in your yard? Might want to try letting the older ones out, and letting the chicks explore the run and coop unmolested, so they can familiarize themselves with it.
Yes, the older ones free range most of the time in our yard and the past couple of weeks the babies have been in the playpen during the day so they do know each other. Today I had them all out together for about an hour. I was nervous but mostly the big girls ignored the little ones. There were a few skirmishes but nothing bad. The most intense was when all 6 were in the playpen together eating food that had spilled! The littles were fast and got out! Then tonight I let the littles out with the bigs put up in the coop. Just to roam without worry. Because I could tell they were not quite as comfortable as before the hour with the big girls. I am feeling hopeful. We are raising our 7 year old grandson and yes we do have small chairs I can turn over in the run. What a good idea! I’ll do a little more each day.
Do you have a picture of the chicken wire crate and where exactly did you put it? Sounds like a good idea! Great to hear it worked for you at young ages!
