Adding new chicks

[Jensownzoo]

Chicks explore their environment by pecking...sort of like puppies do with licking/chewing. I'd expect that this young it is more of an exploratory pecking (are YOU edible?) than a dominance thing.

 

[hilltopchicks77]

That is a perfect explanation! Thank you!

 

[lilrox]

I am having the same issue. I have 2 week old chicks and just received 4 more chicks that are only a few days old. Should I put them in the brooder with my 2 week old chicks or should I keep them separate? The temperature in my brooder is 85 degrees. Should I move the lamp down to raise the heat for the new chicks? My brooder is large so the 2 week old chicks could stay in the cooler areas. Any help would be appreciated!
Thank you,
lilrox

 

[hilltopchicks77]

Hey! I'm no expert since I've owned chicks for only a week now but I have one end at 95 the other is reading around 80 and everyone is back and forth and spread out so I think it's going pretty good. I put the food and water in the middle so the bigger ones don't have to burn up to eat. The pecking seems to be down to a minimum now (24 hrs later) and everyone seems happy good luck!

 

[Jensownzoo]

I am having the same issue.  I have 2 week old chicks and just received 4 more chicks that are only a few days old.  Should I put them in the brooder with my 2 week old chicks or should I keep them separate?  The temperature in my brooder is 85 degrees.  Should I move the lamp down to raise the heat for the new chicks?  My brooder is large so the 2 week old chicks could stay in the cooler areas.  Any help would be appreciated!
Thank you,
lilrox

Because chicks grow so fast, there is a significant size difference between chicks of different ages. The thought is that chicks separated by over a week in age tend to have greater problems integrating together and should have separate brooders.

 

[Blooie]

I've done it successfully with no problems at all. One of the things I do is give them something else to focus on besides each other. Just about anything will work - a few large marbles, (you haven't laughed until you've seen a team of chicks playing soccer!) a large dirt clod, just about anything different.

There is a week's difference in the chicks in this video. They are brooded outside in the run and I have full integration with the Big girls by the time the chicks are 4 weeks old. The day I took this video I think it was in the 20s out there.

 

[lilrox]

Thank you! I will try putting large marbles in the brooder.

 

[lilrox]

Update: Last week I wrote in about getting four new baby chick and putting them in the brooder with my 2 week olds (actually more like 2 1/2 weeks). The transition went well, but last night the power tripped and the heat lamp went out. I did not realize until I got up early this morning. I went downstairs to check on the chicks and panicked when I saw. The bulb was cold to the touch, so I am not sure how long they were without it, but the most amazing thing happened. All my girls were snuggled up together and the new little babies were under their wings. Everyone is doing fine now, but it was a scare! I'm sure I will be checking throughout the night now to make sure all is ok!

 

[Blooie]

So glad everything was okay! That's what many of us try to get across...these little boogers are tougher than we give them credit for. Broodies will take their chicks out exploring when there is snow on the ground. They dash under her, grab a quick warm up, and then they're right back out running around. Silly chickens!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

In a house, chicks really don't need a 250 watt infrared heat lamp. It's a bit overkill.
75-150 should be sufficient.

As for combining chicks of different ages, I've never had a problem with widely disparate ages but I don't use small brooders. I think my smallest is 2'X6'.