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lone 5.5 week old, introducing to 3.5 week old

post #1 of 3
6/14/12 at 1:08pm
Thread Starter 

I just got chicks for the first time last weekend. We got 2 4 week old chicks. Found one of them dead in the brooder box a few days later - not sure what happened, there was no aggressive behavior between the two of them, they were both eating and drinking, the temperature was fine.

 

We are getting another one or two chicks this weekend so the one isn't alone. However, the closest I can find in age is 2 weeks younger. Is it going to be very difficult introducing them? Or will the older chick be fine since she seems desperate for company right now?

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post #2 of 3
6/14/12 at 2:36pm

I have a similar question -- I have 2.5 week old bantam chicks and was thinking I need more chickens so I'd get a batch of 1 week old bantam chicks (of a different breed)....  but my 2.5 week olds are quite mature for their age (I think) -- they fly (about 2' up...), they have had wing feathers since 1 week old, they are feathering up almost everywhere else now....  I don't know how I'd have kept them in a regular brooder box!  Thankfully I have them in a cage.

 

One difference between 1week chicks and 2.5 week chicks would be temperature tolerance -- I'm aware of that, but what about other things?  

 

I'm thinking of removing the roosters from my brooder before adding the younger lot.  I've ID'd 4 of the 9 that are cockerels -- differences in their tail feathers, their wing length proportional to their body, their behavior with each other....

 

I suppose one issue you might have is pecking order issue.  If your older chick is a pullet, it will probably be easier...but I'd love to hear from some people with experience.

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post #3 of 3
6/19/12 at 11:22am
Thread Starter 

We ended up getting two more chicks, a 3.5 week old and a 12 day old. Those two bonded in the box on the drive home, and when they were put in with the older chick the 3.5 week old protected the younger one when the older chick tried pecking at it. After about 10 minutes they all got along.
 

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