Adding chicks to a brooder?

[JenniferC]

Hiya!

Newbie here, just starting a backyard flock. It's a long story, but it looks as though I will be getting 2 rounds of chicks, and I am wondering, can you add chicks to a brooder when the first round are 2 weeks old? Will the first round of chicks attack the later ones? Or are they still too young to be aggressive? Is there something special I should do here?

Thanks!

Jennifer

 

[Tuffoldhen]

I'd be worried two week olds would be pecking on day olds...my opinion....I've never added chicks together that young for that reason...maybe someone else has...

 

[Half-a-dozen]

Hi Jen-

I am working on my third round of chicks. The first two batches were two weeks apart. I just sat with them for a while because as the 1 day olds were trying to fall over and snooze the two weekers kept clobbering them.
After about a half an hour they all just calmed down. and they were fine together........
Third batch 5 weeks apart. They were very curious about the new chicks. Looked but didn't really bother them, But I wound up seperating them because at that point the 6 week olds were too heavy and as they like to make it their practice to walk right over one another, I didn't want to chance a leg injury on a young chick.

So I'd say if you feel they will be in harms way.....wait a bit and keep-um seperate. Hope the story helps.

 

[Daycare Mom]

I am new here, but I have 12 two-week old chicks, and last night I added 8 brand new babies! The older chicks came right over to see the new ones! They started running around and bumping into the little ones. Soon they all calmed down and I even saw one of the bigger ones snuggle up next to the little one...too cute. I think you would be better off to add new ones now than to wait until they get bigger. Good Luck!