Reintroducing 3 Week Old Chicks Ti The Flock

[MrsFaulkner]

We recently got 22, day old chicks ( ordered 18 and received 22 )!

The chicks are three weeks old today and are all doing well! There were two chicks that needed TLC so they have been kept separate from all the other chicks inside our house. We were in the process of moving so 20 chicks were at the new place and the other two were with us. We just finished moving last night and have the two chicks separate but next to the others!

These are our first chicks so I’m super new, how do it do this? I love all my chicks but the two that have been in my house are my babies, like insist on snuggling on my chest every evening so I want to make sure I do it right so they don’t get beat up in there lol!

Thanks in advance

 

[azygous]

The flock, does it consist of adults or just the chicks you have been brooding? If it's only the baby chicks you are reuniting the two chicks with, there is no need for special integration. Simply stick the two back in with the others.

 

[MrsFaulkner]

The flock, does it consist of adults or just the chicks you have been brooding? If it's only the baby chicks you are reuniting the two chicks with, there is no need for special integration. Simply stick the two back in with the others.

Yes, we got them all at the same time but they were only all together for two days. It’s still okay to just put them back in?

 

[azygous]

Yes. Chicks under four weeks do not have a pecking order yet, nor do they discriminate between their brooder mates and sudden strange chicks. Do expect the two to b greeted by the others with pecks on the head. Don't be alarmed that this is aggression. It's just the way chicks investigate newcomers.

Should the pecking continue, it probably would only involve one or two aggressive chicks. Then you can discipline the bullies in the manner I discuss in this article. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aggressive-baby-chicks-and-how-to-stop-the-behavior.72029/

 

[NatJ]

Yes, we got them all at the same time but they were only all together for two days. It’s still okay to just put them back in?

It doesn't matter whether they ever saw each other before or not.
For chicks that are all 3 weeks old and are healthy, you can just stick them together and they should be fine.

Watch them for the first few minutes to be sure, but it almost always works.

 

[MrsFaulkner]

Yes. Chicks under four weeks do not have a pecking order yet, nor do they discriminate between their brooder mates and sudden strange chicks. Do expect the two to b greeted by the others with pecks on the head. Don't be alarmed that this is aggression. It's just the way chicks investigate newcomers.

Should the pecking continue, it probably would only involve one or two aggressive chicks. Then you can discipline the bullies in the manner I discuss in this article. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aggressive-baby-chicks-and-how-to-stop-the-behavior.72029/

Excellent, thank you so much!

 

[Califas77]

We recently got 22, day old chicks ( ordered 18 and received 22 )!

The chicks are three weeks old today and are all doing well! There were two chicks that needed TLC so they have been kept separate from all the other chicks inside our house. We were in the process of moving so 20 chicks were at the new place and the other two were with us. We just finished moving last night and have the two chicks separate but next to the others!

These are our first chicks so I’m super new, how do it do this? I love all my chicks but the two that have been in my house are my babies, like insist on snuggling on my chest every evening so I want to make sure I do it right so they don’t get beat up in there lol!

Thanks in advance

Dear MrsFaulkner,
We usually put our chicks once they have their feathers, out into a "Chick Condo" my husband made for the newbies to be in for a week or 2 that is inside the main chicken run. They have their own little house and a small run. This way the other chickens get used to them being around before putting them directly into the main chicken run/house. It's worked fine so far!! Oh, so we keep them in a big dog kennel on the vinyl kitchen floor until they have their feathers...

 

[Califas77]

Dear MrsFaulkner,
We usually put out chicks out into a "Chick Condo" my husband made for the newbies to be in for a week or 2 that is inside the main chicken run. They have their own little house and a small run. This way the other chickens get used to them being around before putting them directly into the main chicken run/house. It's worked fine so far!!