Adding New Chicks

[MaconMommy5]

Today is Hatch day. So in the next day or so I'll need to move them to the brooder.... But i have 4 week old chicks in it.. Would it be safe to add them together?

 

[Elrodvo]

Yes. It would be safe to add them together because I have like 12 4 week old chicks and we bought some new baby chicks and put them in the brooder together. The chicks did no harm to the small ones. They mostly helped the small ones. It is so adorable!

 

[MaconMommy5]

Yes. It would be safe to add them together because I have like 12 4 week old chicks and we bought some new baby chicks and put them in the brooder together. The chicks did no harm to the small ones. They mostly helped the small ones. It is so adorable!

Thays awesome!! I seen online before that the older ones would kill and possibly eat the younger ones. I suddenly realized i didn't have a back up plan.

 

[Elrodvo]

Well. The older adult ones would but if the baby chick is 4 weeks old. It is fine.

 

[MaconMommy5]

Well. The older adult ones would but if the baby chick is 4 weeks old. It is fine.

Alright! That's good to know!

 

[donrae]

Depends on how much space you have. It will need to be a large brooder to accomodate that range in ages. The bigs can easily hog the heat source and squish the littles. Not meaning to harm them, or being mean, just too big.

I have the galvanized livestock troughs and brood a 3 week age difference with no problems. 4 weeks would be the edge of my comfort zone, doable but I'd watch them closely.

Is it possible to start moving the bigs out to the coop?

 

[MaconMommy5]

The temps are still dropping really low here i think (plus its been super windy and wet) and the coop is allllmost done. The brooder is rather large. It has two food sources, two water sources and two heat lamps. I'm going to guess it's about 7 Foot long by 5 foot wide. Maybe more.

 

[donrae]

That large, sounds like you should be okay. Especially with two heat sources. That's my concern with mine, one heat source and chicks piling up.

 

[MaconMommy5]

That large, sounds like you should be okay. Especially with two heat sources. That's my concern with mine, one heat source and chicks piling up. 

So far I've never seen them piling up. I'll see one or two here and there together but that's it. But then again my daughter has us check on them every hour... New water. More feed. Check their temp. Hahaha