A few pics of my first chickens.

Date sort Score sort
danab

danab

Songster
10 Years
Jul 24, 2009
161
0
109
So Cal
A neighbor asked me a few months ago if I would split a order of 8 chicks with him from My Pet Chicken. I said sure, I have been wanting chickens for a while now. They are due to hatch on Monday, so they will be arriving Thursday I think. Well today he told me that MPC said all 8 need to stay together in one brooder until they have feathers. I really wanted to raise them from the start. He then told me a local feed store had some chicks in stock, so I went and bought four chicks. Two are buff orps, and two are aura's. Sorry I don't know how to spell the name correctly, but I think you know what I mean.

Here they are
3752395133_e2ce58bafd.jpg
3753189730_cca683f769.jpg

3753189584_a1e6b22479.jpg
3752934519_edc0fa65b1.jpg


I was told they are one and a half weeks old. I guess my question is, will it be possible to add the other 4 my neighbor wants to give me at a later time. They will be two weeks apart in age. And when would be the best time to introduce the younger chicks? I was thinking maybe when they all move outside to the coop.
 
Such little sweet hearts!!
I put chicks together
that were several weeks apart and they did just fine.
A little peck here and there they gave each other at
first but they worked it out fine.
Also if you have a heat lamp I don't see why he thinks
they all need to stay together. it sounds like he might
just want to keep them all for himmself!! LOL!
For best results get them all together asap.
Have fun!!!!
 
Last edited:
I trust my neighbor, and he only has room for 4 chickens in his yard. So he will be giving 4 to me. The people at MPC told him all 8 should be in the brooder for best survival rate. I don't understand it either, since we are averaging 98 degree temps here in our part of Southern California. I am just glad I had not started on the coop yet, now I know I need to make it bigger.
 
Last edited:
Whaaa huh call MPC and ask them,i have raised just 2 chicks in a brooder they did fine....Some people even have raised one chick...so what does MPC tell people who only order 4 chicks?
 
Last edited:
I wouldn't wait until they go in the coop. I would put them together when the other ones come. Find a way to seperate them for a few days in the broooder.

I personally did this. I got 4 batches of couple chicks at different times.

My 4 cornish rocks and 2 Rhode Island Reds were my first group to integrate. I took 2 small pieces of plywood and seperated a small space for the RIR's for a few days. After the wait, i opened the plywood and everythign was good.

So then my cornish rocks moved into their own tote becuase they were so big and couldn't be in the same brooder anymore. Then I found two more rhode islands and did the same thing. Worked great. All got moved to the coop, Cornish first, week later the RIR's and they were all good together.

My first set of three buff orps had there own brooder because everyone else was in the coop and they needed to be isolated plus they were a week younger than the others. They integrated into the coop with some trouble (My 2 RIR roo's didn't like them. I ended up segregating those 2 roo''s to integrate.)

My last three buffs were bought at 11 weeks old and held in isolation for a while to watch out for diseases and things.... Integration wasn't as troublesome as the last but still not the easiest.

Long story short, the sooner the better.
 
They can be separated now.

Each brooder just needs to be the right temp.

ETA: Love your BO's and EE's!
 
Last edited:
hmm.png
If you are going to raise the MPC with your feed store chicks--then you should put them in together. You are making a flock of your own. Raising them together will make it easier from the get go. Tell the neighbor that you want your chicks now. His 4 will be fine in their own brooder. Yours will be fine in your brooder. Don't miss out on raising your 4 MPC chicks
big_smile.png

Just my .02 cents!
wink.png
 
I hope things work out for you. Although I've never heard of keeping all the chicks together before. Four chicks are enough to keep warm. Especially in the summer. What did your neighbor do with her half of the chicks?
big_smile.png
 
You are currently raising 4 chickens in a brooder. What difference would it be if he raised four in the brooder and you took the additional four now? It's possible he wants to wait until they are older to insure he will be getting 4 pullets out of the 8 chicks...or he could be listening to whatever MPC supposedly told him. Whatever, I would suggest that you take integrate your young chicks as young as possible. I've been integrating my 12 week olds with my 7 week olds, and have to now add to the mix some 4 week olds...the separation in the coop becomes tedious!
tongue.png


Enjoy your babies...they really grow quickly!
 

Similar threads

Watolf
Post office, morning or noon?
Replies
2
Views
191
Watolf
Watolf
M
    • Like
Rooster?
Replies
6
Views
285
May Wine
M
Mikski
Combining Coops?
Replies
8
Views
487
D Uccle Uncle
D
CombNWattles
Raising just two chicks?
Replies
6
Views
350
CombNWattles
CombNWattles
P
What to do with solo chick
Replies
7
Views
465
LyleVertigo
LyleVertigo

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom