5 week old chicks and 3 week old chicks-help plz

kasing49

In the Brooder
Mar 17, 2016
14
7
27
we wanted 12 chicks and ordered them. To our dismay we got 3 chicks a couple of weeks
early. Then 2 weeks later came the 9 others. This 2 weeks seems to make a big difference and so far we
have them in same area but separated. The older chicks have imprinted in our coop but the little ones
can't go in there with them so are sectioned off in the back of it at night safely secured from older one. They
are now 5 weeks and 3 weeks old and we don't know what to do to make all this work out happily. Please respond
with opinions if you will. Thank you. Kathy
 
I would start supervised mingling. Watching them and intervening if necessary, than separating them when you can't watch anymore. Keep them side by side separated by a wire fence. Keep mingling and separating everyday until they seem to get along well enough that you aren't concerned. I would start now before they get any older and prone to being more bullying.
 
Totally agree. You need to get them started integrating. Two weeks isn't that great a spread, and at age three weeks, after having been in proximity with the older chicks, they younger ones have been absorbing information about their temperaments and behaviors that will serve them well in being able to cope with mingling with them.

You may be surprised at how easy it will be. On the off chance you have a bully in the bunch, you can mitigate the behavior by giving the bully a poke on the back with your finger each time you see the bad behavior. This is surprisingly effective and usually alters the bullying behavior in very short order.

Warning - the longer you wait, the more solidly each group will build their cliques and the harder integration will be.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom