Brooding adding more chicks a week or so later?

[Export_Pilot]

When chicks are in the brooder can you add chicks a week or 2 later? Or do they all need t be add at 1 time?

 

[Melky]

I would probably keep separate for now. New chicks should go under a 30 day quarantine to avoid bringing illness to your flock. The other issue is they will not have the same temperature needs.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/adding-to-your-flock.47756/

 

[Melky]

You can try integrating later when out of the brooder.

 

[aart]

I would probably keep separate for now. New chicks should go under a 30 day quarantine to avoid bringing illness to your flock

Adding hatchery chicks is pretty safe, no need to quarantine.

When chicks are in the brooder can you add chicks a week or 2 later? Or do they all need t be add at 1 time?

I have done this with great success.... and total chaos.
Start with a split brooder and second heat source in case it goes sideways.
Best to start them off in separate sides of brooder, then play it by ear.
The more space the better....integration basics below for some helpful tips.

Integration Basics:
It's all about territory and resources(space/food/water).
Existing birds will almost always attack new ones to defend their resources.
Understanding chicken behaviors is essential to integrating new birds into your flock.

Confine new birds within sight but physically segregated from older/existing birds for several weeks, so they can see and get used to each other but not physically interact.

In adjacent runs, spread scratch grains along the dividing mesh, best if mesh is just big enough for birds to stick their head thru, so they get used to eating together.

The more space, the better. Birds will peck to establish dominance, the pecked bird needs space to get away. As long as there's no copious blood drawn and/or new bird is not trapped/pinned down and beaten unmercilessly, let them work it out. Every time you interfere or remove new birds, they'll have to start the pecking order thing all over again.

Multiple feed/water stations. Dominance issues are most often carried out over sustenance, more stations lessens the frequency of that issue.

Places for the new birds to hide 'out of line of sight'(but not a dead end trap) and/or up and away from any bully birds. Roosts, pallets or boards leaned up against walls or up on concrete blocks, old chairs tables, branches, logs, stumps out in the run can really help. Lots of diversion and places to 'hide' instead of bare wide open run.

 

[Stephine]

I have done this with two batches of chicks 10 days apart. I gave the littler ones about two weeks to grow up a bit and then I took the big ones out of their brooder and added on to it (I use moving boxes). I rearranged the placement of the waterer and feeder to make it look new to the bigger chicks and released the little ones into the brooder first. After maybe 20 minutes I picked my bossiest chick from the older group and put it in with the little ones. Now thoroughly intimidated it behaved! 15 minutes later, next bossy chick and so on a few times and then I just put the nicer old chicks all in at once. No problems whatsoever! The little ones formed their own group for a couple of days, then one little one moved to the older group for sleeping. After a few weeks they all mingled. That was easy!

 

[blackdog043]

I would probably keep separate for now. New chicks should go under a 30 day quarantine to avoid bringing illness to your flock. The other issue is they will not have the same temperature needs.

I don't quarantine new chicks, I raise them in my coop brooder with my older chickens. I use a mama heat pad, so new chicks would go under further and older ones would stay on the edge or on top.

 

[Export_Pilot]

Working on the crate.. Most All wood and Materials Scrap including the Crate!! Except For the top ring was materials I was saving to rim my windows!

Solid and Just Above Waist High..

Kitty Proof.. But top Can be Fully Removed if Required.

I Will move it in to it's spot in the shop Thursday chicks arrive Friday and Monday! I Will Cross fingers no house fire! PS: Milk Jugs Make Great Hinges.

 

[aart]

PS: Milk Jugs Make Great Hinges.

Detail pic, please?

You might want some side mesh and doors, chick handling goes better when approached from the side rather than from above.

 

[paneubert]

Detail pic, please?

I think he is using "strips" cut from a plastic milk jug to make a flexible hinge. You can kind of see one dead center on the lower/close side of the brooder lid.

 

[springvalley123]

That looks great! I'd do a trial run though, make sure the one brooder bulb shown is enough for Vancouver WA this time of year. I used an indoor/outdoor weather sensor and put it under the bulb. ALso, I've bought chicks from TSC, then bought more a week later, with no problems or special integration. Sometimes the chicks actually don't sell right away anyway, so you might even be able to get week-old chicks or older when you're ready to add more chicks.