4 week old with 5 3 day olds

[Robinvila]

Current setup: 5 4 day old chicks in a large cardboard box with brooder plate, chicks purchased yesterday. Predicament: neighbor brought over a 4 week old Egyptian Fayoumis as a gift. I wasn’t sure what to do so I sectioned off the box with a hardware cloth divider separating the older chick from the babies. I have 4 2 year old hens outside that free range, a 4x8 coop that is connected to a 7x10 dog kennel. Im not sure when it is wise to remove the divider. I’m also not sure about integrating one chicken with the flock by herself when it’s time. Im seeking guidance on a strategy to move forward that will be the healthiest and least stressful for all. Thank you so much.

 

[kattabelly]

If you only have one 4 week old and several 4 day olds I'd expect integration to be fairly easy. I've mixed those ages before and I just made sure the smaller chicks had a "safe room" only they could access, and that they knew how to get in & out of there.

They really need to be in a bigger space than a big cardboard box though, especially the older chick.

 

[Robinvila]

Thank you