Adding New Chicks to Older Chicks in Brooder

[jslason]

Thank you all for your good advice and warm welcome!
Judy

 

[chicksAZ14]

Does that mean you would have to regulate the temp again for the new chicks or keep the same temp that was being used for the older ones. I am thinking about getting some New Hampshire reds later this week but I am also concerned how the older ones will behave towards them.
Thanks

 

[gander007]

Alright welcome to the BYC flock

 

[TwoCrows]

Does that mean you would have to regulate the temp again for the new chicks or keep the same temp that was being used for the older ones. I am thinking about getting some New Hampshire reds later this week but I am also concerned how the older ones will behave towards them.
Thanks

Welcome to BYC!

You can mix in new birds up to about 2 weeks old. You can keep the heat high an extra week for the older birds so the hatchlings have the right heat. The older birds will do fine. They will all mix well at this age as well. However, after 2 weeks, chicks start to develop the pecking order. So if mixing in new babies, do it before or by 2 weeks of age.

If you need any tips and hints on raising your new babies, stop by the learning center for an article on raising your brood for the next 60 days....

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...ks-the-first-60-days-of-raising-baby-chickens

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask. Welcome to our flock!

 

[PatriotofFlorid]

After an all out Mortal Combat event I now place a see through divider cutting the coup and yard in half after a few days in the evening when the chickens are starting to roost I remove the divider. A little hen pecking but no death matches.

 

[TwoCrows]

When mixing adult birds, yes you have to do it slowly over several weeks time. Keep the new hens in a cage or behind a fenced off area but within the flock. Everybody sees, nobody touches. This allows the existing flock to re organize the pecking order without touching or doing harm. After several weeks, you can mix them all together with little aggression. Always watch that first week and always intervene if it turns bloody. This is the easiest way to do it without anybody getting hurt.

 

[drumstick diva]

ZOMBIE thread - starter has not responded for nearly 5 YEARS

 

[chicksAZ14]

Thank you very much for the help! I'm new to the whole chick raising so this forum definitely helps.