when to introduce chicks

cummins05 · Apr 20, 2016

I was looking for some good concrete information about introducing baby chicks. I have four 6week old chicks right now and we got 4 new ones last night. The 6 week olds are 2 buffs a barred rock and a RIR. The 4 new chicks are 2 black australorp a RIR and a barred rock. I figured we let the chicks get a week old and try and introduce them. What are your thoughts?

macylee36 · Apr 20, 2016

I wouldn't try to introduce them until they reach at least the 6 week mark. The difference in size is still pretty significant between a one week old and a 7 week old.

azygous · Apr 20, 2016

You can get a head start on the integration process by brooding the new chicks alongside the older ones. This question gets asked every day here, and there are no hard and fast rules. But generally, if the new chicks are within a couple or three weeks of the older ones, you may be able to put them together right away. But yours are too much of an age and size difference.

If you set up a brooder in the coop with a heating pad system, it's much easier to regulate heat needs of both groups. And then when the new chicks reach about three weeks, they will have learned to know the older ones well enough to be able to mingle without getting pounded. Also, the older ones will have accepted the new ones as part of the flock, so there's less likelihood of them feeling threatened by them.

when to introduce chicks

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cummins05

Hatching

macylee36

In the Brooder

azygous

Addict

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