1 day and 5 day chicks - together?

[cute_chicks_5]

I'm a total newbie here, so I appreciate your advice.

I have three 5-day chicks (Buff Orpington, Welsummer, and Black Sex-Linked) and just got two 1-day silkies. I have divided my brooder so each gets half the space. When should I combine them, and how should I go about doing it?

 

[onthespot]

Hi, Welcome to BYC

It would be faster and easier if the older ones were the silkies. No worries though. If I was going to integrate them, I'd put the silkies where they were going to be integrated in, and make sure they are walking and eating great, able to stand up and run a little when they wanted to, then integrate them as soon as possible after that. I would put the buffs into the silkie's brooder, so they get to feel "lost" and the silkies get to feel secure. Keep an eye on them for a while, make sure no one is picking on anyone. If they are, separate them again and try the next day. and so on and so on. Shouldn't take many tries, probably will work on the first try.

 

[tinydancer87]

I agree, they should be fine. As long as the silkies are eating and drinking well, and have good balance and mobility, they'll be fine. I always put my lil chix together.

 

[TwinMama2x]

I think they would be fine if you put them together now. I ordered 75 chicks of various breeds, had three separate brooders but they quickly outgrew them and ended up altogether anyway. No one was hurt in the process.

 

[SanctusPullus]

Still new to the game but the age-difference seems almost negligable to me. My latest batch started a few weeks ago with a two-week old rooster (didn't know it was a roo at the time), two week-old girls, and one just one-day old. Major size differences. They all did great together. We replaced the rooster yesterday with a tiny 4 day old girl and she seems to be being taken care of pretty well by the now-three-week olds as well as the other youngun'. It seems to me I could probably even stretch it a few more weeks and still add another newbie without any problems. Good luck and welcome to the wonderful weird world of gallus domesticus!

 

[onthespot]

One day olds may still be trying to find their sea legs. If they can stand up and run a few steps, and if you put them on their back and they can get back upright, they are good to go. Are their navels all dried up and nothing red or pink down there? If they are still pink navel'd, they might get pecked and their innards turn into outards, if you know what I mean.

 

[cute_chicks_5]

Thanks so much for the great advice. The silkies are strong, and this morning we slowly added the older chicks. No problem - although the silkies did try pecking the toes of the older ones. This is a great forum, and I appreciate all the excellent information available.