3 day old chicks and 3 1/2 week old chicks together

3 day olds are going to get trampled and picked upon by the older chicks.  They also need to be maintained at a warmer temperature.  In my opinion maintaining them together is not a good idea.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sheeshshe 

Do I need to integrate them in a special way?  or just toss em in together?

 

Oh shoot.  I just saw another thread about this.  so sorry!

I have some 2 weeks apart together right now. i haven't had a problem. 3 weeks is a bigger jump, so watch them, but they should be fine. As far as heat goes, put the light (I assume you are using a heat lamp?) On 1 end or in 1 corner of the brooder so they can choose the amount of heat they want and get away from it when they need to. That part isn't a big deal. 

While I have never had a problem with trampling, other people do, so watch them carefully for a while. Some people say chicks as many as 4 weeks apart can share a brooder with no problem. 

just watch out for pecking, trampling, and make sure the bigger babies can get away from the heat when they need to, and you should be fine.

A little pecking is totally normal. It is to a chicken the way butt sniffing is to a dog. just make sure it's done out of curiosity, not meanness. Good luck. :)

If it were me I would keep them separate until the younger ones are at least a week old.  I tried exactly what you are asking about two years ago.  I put 3 day olds in with 3 1/2 olds but I watched them close.  Within a few minutes I learned I had to put a divider in the brooder.  After 1 week I removed the divider and they were fine together.

I have 4 chicks (2 Barred Rocks & 2 Americaunas) that are 3 days old that I put with 2 chicks (white leghorns & rhode island red cross breeds) that are 3 weeks old.  Their brooder is a 54 gallon rubbermaid container.  They have now been together for about 30 hrs and so far so good!  The heat lamp in in one corner and the older chicks sleep further away from it.  Right now they are all curled up together.  I was so nervous...these our our first chickens!  Good luck! :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by brit868 

I have 4 chicks (2 Barred Rocks & 2 Americaunas) that are 3 days old that I put with 2 chicks (white leghorns & rhode island red cross breeds) that are 3 weeks old.  Their brooder is a 54 gallon rubbermaid container.  They have now been together for about 30 hrs and so far so good!  The heat lamp in in one corner and the older chicks sleep further away from it.  Right now they are all curled up together.  I was so nervous...these our our first chickens!  Good luck! :)

Welcome to BYC! :D

Quote:

Originally Posted by sheeshshe 

OK, they're here and I had to put a divider since one of the big ones kept biting one of the 4 day old's toe.  :(  I might try again after they get used to each other.  We'll see. but for now they're divided and can see each other through the fence.

How long did you leave them together? Mine do some of that, too, but not enough to hurt them, really. 

One method you can try (That I used with my first 2 batches that shared the same brooder) is to turn of all the lights, even the heat lamp. Leave just enough light that you can see. Put the little guys in the brooder, right next to the bigger babies and while you turn on the lights make very loud noises. Banging, yell, anything that makes them nervous. They should flee together, being flock animals, they will think there is danger. That makes the pecking order go much smoother, because it takes the focus off of "Hey! Look! New guys!" to "OMG! WHAT'S GOING ON?? HUDDLE IN A CORNER!"