Max age difference to combine chicks?

Date sort Score sort
Jmurcks

Jmurcks

Songster
10 Years
Oct 30, 2009
241
3
127
North Alabama
I want to raise chicks from three different pairs.
My understanding is that best case scenario it is a minimum 4-8 weeks before babies can go outside...

If I use one incubator there will be about a month's difference between the first batches of chicks. Two or more months between the first and third batch of chicks...
Worst case scenario can I put the newborn chicks in the same brooder as the potentially 4 week old or older chicks or do I need a whole seperate brooder?
Thanks, Jenn
(I am full of questions today!)
 
Last edited:
You definitely need a separate brooder. Newborn chicks are way too "delicate" to go in with 4 week olds......I would be more apt to combine them once they are older and in a larger space. It is possible in a big enough space you could get 4 week olds and 8 week olds to get along......maybe.....
 
When I had two groups of different ages, I set my “fancy”
lau.gif
brooder up like this:


31162_dsc_0932.jpg




Little box inside larger box, kept older chick out of little chicks with hardware cloth.


At about weeks old, the little chicks decided they enjoyed the big box more and moved themselves out of the little box.
 
Quote:
Yes, Marilyn was an only chick until the others came along. He would snuggle in it and sometimes pull the feathers out "fighting" it.


As they got a bit older we started calling it the "boy box" - all three chicks are cockerels.
tongue.png
 
Quote:
This is a great idea, but be very careful with the heatlamp. I did the same thing and just lost several day olds. I put them in a separate box inside the brooder to keep them safe from the older chicks. It got too warm from them and they couldn't move away from the heat because of the box. I lost all but 1
hit.gif
 

Similar threads

Appalachickens
Integrating different age chicks.
Replies
5
Views
311
Appalachickens
Appalachickens
S
New to chickens - age differences in brooding.
Replies
6
Views
306
NatJ
NatJ
newchickychick
It’s that time again: Is this chick poop normal?
2
Replies
10
Views
622
newchickychick
newchickychick
M
Vaccinated vs non Vaccinated chicks together
Replies
8
Views
844
RoyalChick
RoyalChick
Y
What am I doing wrong???
2 3
Replies
21
Views
1K
ella2025
ella2025

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom