Mixing chicks

[momchick4]

Last Friday I purchased 37 new chicks. The hatchery sent 49 chicks.

I have two separate brooders to house them. While cleaning one of the brooders, I will be mixing all the chicks in one brooder.
Once bother brooders are clean, will it matter which chicks end up together? Or should I try to keep them in two separate groups?
When they go to the big coop, they will be house together.

Chicks are:
25 red sexlinks
17 black sexlinks
7 welsummers

 

[redsoxs]

At that age it won't matter how you mix them up - they don't really know each other yet so there is no pecking order business going on. One word of advice...if the hatchery sent a dozen more chicks than you ordered it was possibly a counting error. It was more likely that the hatchery needed to get rid of excess male chicks. Just saying in case you weren't counting on roosters but end up with a surplus of them. Good luck to you!

 

[momchick4]

I thought the same thing, but most of my order was sex links.

Ordered Received
Red sex links 25 25
black sex links 6 16
welsummers 6 7
mystery chick 1
37 49

The mystery chick is black and brown with yellow legs. If I have any roosters, it won't be a problem.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

I thought the same thing, but most of my order was sex links.

Ordered Received
Red sex links 25 25
black sex links 6 16
welsummers 6 7
mystery chick 1
37 49

The mystery chick is black and brown with yellow legs. If I have any roosters, it won't be a problem.

I believe you should be able to tell now if any of those sexlinks are males. Do they have spots on their heads?

 

[momchick4]

None of them have white spots on their heads. They all are girls. If I have a boy it will either be the extra mystery chick or the extra Welsummer.
I think the hatchery had too many extra black sex links that needed a home.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

None of them have white spots on their heads. They all are girls. If I have a boy it will either be the extra mystery chick or the extra Welsummer.
I think the hatchery had too many extra black sex links that needed a home.

Wow, you got lucky

 

[aart]

None of them have white spots on their heads. They all are girls. If I have a boy it will either be the extra mystery chick or the extra Welsummer.
I think the hatchery had too many extra black sex links that needed a home.

The Welsummer were sold as sexed or straight run?
Should be able to tell gender by markings.

 

[momchick4]

All were sold as pullets directly from the hatchery

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

None of them have white spots on their heads. They all are girls. If I have a boy it will either be the extra mystery chick or the extra Welsummer.
I think the hatchery had too many extra black sex links that needed a home.

Did the hatchery packing information specifically say that all 16 of the chicks you have are BSL or are you assuming they are BSL because they look similar to the 6 you did order? Asking as it is possible that some of the packing peanuts are not BSL which would negate the presence/absence of head spot in regards to gender determination.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Quote:
That's true. I didn't even think of that....