Baby chicks of different ages in the same brooder?

[Leilukka]

We have chicks born on March 5th, 13th, 16th, 20th, and 2 are about to hatch in the next 24 hours. We have a brooder that is only 6 square feet- a black rubber tub. We have one set of feeder/waterer. We have a heating lamp and a brooder plate. We have one chick with the brooder plate in a box because she hurt her knee. So the brooder plate is out of the brooder and only a heating lamp.

Do I need to buy another brooder from Amazon, along with another feeder/waterer and another heating plate?

Will the March 5th chicks hurt the new hatchlings?

 

[NatJ]

We have chicks born on March 5th, 13th, 16th, 20th, and 2 are about to hatch in the next 24 hours. We have a brooder that is only 6 square feet- a black rubber tub. We have one set of feeder/waterer. We have a heating lamp and a brooder plate. We have one chick with the brooder plate in a box because she hurt her knee. So the brooder plate is out of the brooder and only a heating lamp.

Do I need to buy another brooder from Amazon, along with another feeder/waterer and another heating plate?

Will the March 5th chicks hurt the new hatchlings?

You didn't say how many total chicks, so I am assuming just a few from each hatch date. In general, the more chicks there already are, the more likely that new young chicks will be injured.

I would probably put the new hatchlings in with the injured chick for a day or two. That way they won't get stepped on while they are still clumsy and needing very frequent naps. The injured one will probably not get hurt by newly hatched chicks, especially with just two of them. In a few days, when the newest chicks are more active and less clumsy, they can probably go in the main brooder with the others.

But if you have even more eggs in the incubator, or if you plan to do spread out hatches like this in the future, you may want to arrange a much bigger brooder, or have several brooders. A single big brooder might be nice, because you can use the whole space for a large group or divide it with wire mesh to separate injured chicks or newly-hatched chicks without completely isolating them.

 

[Leilukka]

You didn't say how many total chicks, so I am assuming just a few from each hatch date. In general, the more chicks there already are, the more likely that new young chicks will be injured.

I would probably put the new hatchlings in with the injured chick for a day or two. That way they won't get stepped on while they are still clumsy and needing very frequent naps. The injured one will probably not get hurt by newly hatched chicks, especially with just two of them. In a few days, when the newest chicks are more active and less clumsy, they can probably go in the main brooder with the others.

But if you have even more eggs in the incubator, or if you plan to do spread out hatches like this in the future, you may want to arrange a much bigger brooder, or have several brooders. A single big brooder might be nice, because you can use the whole space for a large group or divide it with wire mesh to separate injured chicks or newly-hatched chicks without completely isolating them.

Thank you.

 

[Leilukka]

Thank you.

NatJ:
I have 8 chicks right now. 2 of them are the bigger ones born on March 5th.

 

[NatJ]

NatJ:
I have 8 chicks right now. 2 of them are the bigger ones born on March 5th.

That sounds like a small enough number, it will probably be fine to add the newest ones after they are steady on their feet.

I would be a little worried about newly-hatched chicks getting stepped on while they are still clumsy in the first day or so (but putting them with the injured chick would keep them safe while they figure out how to walk better.)

 

[Leilukka]

That sounds like a small enough number, it will probably be fine to add the newest ones after they are steady on their feet.

I would be a little worried about newly-hatched chicks getting stepped on while they are still clumsy in the first day or so (but putting them with the injured chick would keep them safe while they figure out how to walk better.)

Thank you. Sounds good.