Adding a smaller chick to ones a little older......suggestions?

[Abbiem00]

I have 2 baby chicks around 3 weeks old. I will be trying to add an Austrolorp in a week or two - waiting for them to hatch.

How, when, what, do I do to get all three together??

What temperature difference will I be dealing with?

Thanks for ALL of the help!!

 

[HEChicken]

If the original chicks are 3 weeks old now and you won't be adding the Australorp for another week or two, that will be an age difference of 4-5 weeks which is too much IMO. I would not put a newly hatched chick in with a pair that age, especially by itself. It would be better to get the day-old chick a companion of the same age - which isn't hard to do at this time of year when there are chicks available at all the feed stores.

When they are ALL older and closer in size, you might be able to integrate them to allow them to continue to mature together.

 

[Abbiem00]

That's not going to work for me. I had to talk hubby into 2 backyard chickens and now 3. 4 isn't going to happen.

 

[HEChicken]

If the older ones kill the young one you'll only have two anyway. Perhaps it would be better not to bring the younger one home. Do you know of anyone else that could take it?

 

[Abbiem00]

Thanks. I'm going to stick to the two babies we already have.