Adding to the chick stash?

[MN Chicken]

Okay, so I have 4 one week old chicks, one of which you all have convinced me is a Roo (BR with too much white and not enough dark on the legs). Our goal is to have 4 hens. The other 3 could go either way. I would be okay with up to 6 hens, hubby is not so keen on the idea of any more than 4. I was wondering if we should wait to see how many pullets we have to get more chicks, or should we get some day olds (2) to add to the 4 so that they can grow up together. Is it okay to put day olds in the same brooder as week olds? Should I just hold off and see how roo ridden we are? We cannot have roos where we live.

Thanks! You all have been awesome!

 

[1stepcloser]

 

[happyhensny]

Personally, I err on the side of extras.

Get a few more, mix them in, sell the extra Roos. You just never know what you'll end up with.

 

[MN Chicken]

The feed store has straight run chicks coming in april 1st-ish (RIR, BR, Astro, Leghorn, and some "mixed varieties"). That will make my current chicks 2-3 weeks old. Is that too big of an age difference to put them together?

They did have some really encouraging information about poultry swaps, and said I'd have absolutely no trouble finding a good home for an Roos I have

 

[gryeyes]

In October, when I picked up my first four chicks, I lost one due to "failure to thrive" and so I wanted to add one back. Of course, I bought 3 to make the total six instead of four, or five. But that was over a week after the first purchase. Then later, I bought some more. In October, I spread the chick purchase over the whole month, so I had a good three weeks' difference in some. They all grew up together just fine.

The only issue I had was that I wanted to take them outside full time at the same time, so the older chicks had to stay in the brooder 3 weeks longer than they would have, normally, if I'd just stuck to the 3 survivors and not added to the flock o' chicks. Too cold to put the youngest out at the time the oldest were ready, so everybody stayed in the brooder until ALL of them were ready.

But an age difference of up to a month is not a big deal.

 

[felidaet]

Last year I mixed chicks that were three weeks apart in age with no problems. I would recommend that the youngest be at leat a couple of days old before integrating them. If you are getting them from a feed store it is likely they are at least 3 - 4 days old.

If you are looking for pullets/hens then you want to look for a store selling pullets rather than straight run. With straight run at least 1/2 are going to be roosters. With my luck, if I were selecting random chicks from a straight run tub, I would probably end up with all roosters.

. If you do get some from this tub, loog for skinny legs (but not a sickly bird), small to no comb, and more feathers.

 

[MN Chicken]

Thanks for all of the advice! I just ordered 2 female day olds from Nature's Hatchery, so they should be here soon and I hope to have a better shot at pullets

I have another EE coming, and a BR to replace "Gary."

 

[alabamachick]

Quote:
Ditto! In MY opinion, MORE chicks, means MORE chances of hens.

Course it could go either way....