Baby chicks of different ages?

[SCChick]

I'm still recovering after my neighbors dog killed all 5 of my baby girls yesterday. I'm looking into getting new baby chicks. My farm store gets chicks every other week, and they're getting some that I'd like on 7/2, and some that I'd like on 7/16. Would I be able to introduce the babies to the two week old chicks, or is this going to cause problems, because the little ones will always be smaller? I do have the ability to split my brooder with a divider, it would just be so much easier to keep them all together.
Thanks for the advice.

 

[Glenmar]

I put some together that were 10 days apart in age with no problems. I think if you watch them at first they will be ok. It may also depend on if the older ones out number the younger ones. In my case I had 2 older ones hatched from under broodies and 23 younger ones from my Brinsea.

 

[ReikiStar]

We have 4 groups of chicks this year and in every group there are chicks that are 1 or 2 weeks apart. No problems at all. Just watch for feather or toe picking, but that can happen with chicks of the same age.

And I'm SO sorry for your loss.

I hope your neighbor knows that dog better not step foot on your property again.

 

[DancingHen]

If the younger chicks are only a day old I would put up a divider for 1 to 2 days until they are strong walkers. If they are already steady on their feet I think it will be fine. I currently have a brooder with chicks of three ages together...several days to 10 days apart. They get along fine. Pecked each new addition for about an hour and then let it go. Good luck. And I am very sorry for your loss of your other chicks. So sad.

 

[Mommy 2 Wee Ones]

My youngest 5 are two weeks apart, I put them together when they were 2 weeks & 4 weeks. There is no fighting, but they do get picked on by the older 10, who are 7 weeks. So when they are outside, I have a fence that separates them from the older 10. The older 10 sleep in the coop outside & the younger 5 still sleep inside in the brooder.

 

[jenkassai]

My 10 chicks range in age from almost 1 week to almost 4 weeks. When I put the youngest ones in, the older ones did pick on them a bit the first day, but I made sure they had a place in the brooder they could get to that the bigger chicks couldn't fit in, and placed feed and water right outside of that, so if necessary they could run out, grab what they need and run back. One of the new chicks was hilarious (Partridge Rock), she was my little "adrenaline junky", and would run out, run through all the big girls with her wings out, and run back to her hidey hole! It was SO entertaining to watch, and the big girls would look at her like "WTH??!!". I also supervised as closely as I could and would "correct" (can you correct a chicken?!) the big girls by tapping them on their back/shoulder area if they started to go after the new ones. After the first day and a half, everyone settled in and now I have no issues, they are all getting along. I should say though, that the older girls are Jersey Giants, which are supposed to be a bit laid back, and one Columbian Wyandotte. The Wyandotte was the worst for picking on the newbies, but is good now.

 

[greening]

i have some 12 wks that i put with my 3 wks and there weren't really any problems. the only problems i did have is that a few of the fiesty little ones would gang up on one of the big ones (specifically the silver laced polish) . there were 5 12wks and 11 3wks (but 6 are guineas)

 

[themenagerie]

I have 20 five and six week old (mostly) pullets. I am thinking about getting two laying hens because I don't want to wait until October for eggs. What's the best way to put the hens in with the group?

 

[greening]

ive heard to stick them in with them at night, but ive always done it in brood daylight and just watched to make sure there was no "bullying" if you do have bullies, i would do it at night in the dark, but ive never had any problems and needed to

 

[cmom]

I have combined chicks together of different ages. I make a safe place for the smaller chicks that the larger chicks can't get into so if the little chicks get picked on they have a safe place to go. Mine figured out their safe place. I did put them in the safe place for a couple of days to let them get used to it and when I let them out and the older chicks would chase them they would go to their safe place. Now everyone is together and no more safe place. That is just the way I do it, because the older chicks did pick on the younger chicks.