Brooding Chicks from Different Hatcheries Together?

[3KillerBs]

Has anyone ever ordered chicks from more than one hatchery to come within the same week and brooding them together?

Some of the breeds we're interested in are either available only at specific hatcheries or are considerably more expensive at one hatchery than at a different hatchery. Are there any downsides to mixing chicks that are close to the same age from different sources?

 

[Birdie2019]

Only downside is vaccinations may differ. We’ve mixed from multiple Tractor Supply’s and at home hatches. They ended up getting Coccidiosis as soon as I put the at home hatch with them. My guess is one or both of the TS chicks was vaccinated for Cocci, then gave it to my at home hatch, Ember, and she spread it in a worse strain. Then everyone got Cocci

 

[3KillerBs]

Only downside is vaccinations may differ. We’ve mixed from multiple Tractor Supply’s and at home hatches. They ended up getting Coccidiosis as soon as I put the at home hatch with them. My guess is one or both of the TS chicks was vaccinated for Cocci, then gave it to my at home hatch, Ember, and she spread it in a worse strain. Then everyone got Cocci

I haven't decided if I ought to order the chicks vaccinated or not.

 

[rosemarythyme]

x2 on vaccinations probably being the only difference. Even my feed store orders chicks from something like 4 different hatcheries, so last time we got 2 from one hatchery, 2 from another.

 

[FeatherFluff]

We got chicks from Meyer & Mt Healthy and blooded them together with no problems. None were vaccinated and we used medicated feed. The only hatchery that we dealt with that vaccinates for Cocci is McMurray.

We didn't get Marek's vaccine because we already have unvaccinated birds and you can't mix them.

 

[ladybrasa]

I’ve been mixing TSC chicks (Hoover’s), hatched chicks, McMurray, and Meyer all summer long. The McMurray and Meyers are Marek’s vaccinated, as well as most of the hatched chicks. Pretty sure the TSC/Hoovers are not vaccinated for Marek’s. The only time I kept chicks separate was for close to 2 weeks for the hatched chicks I vaccinated myself. Seems everyone is doing fine. Should Marek’s hit my birds, the unvaccinated will probably succumb while the vaccinated will probably live (not 100% either way).

Point being, they should be fine, just be mindful of disease exposure both ways. Though day olds probably don’t really carry much if anything, but still possible.

 

[NatJ]

Has anyone ever ordered chicks from more than one hatchery to come within the same week and brooding them together?

I've done it, no problems--but be sure the brooder is big enough for the number of chicks you're getting!

One year I had 15 chicks arrive from one hatchery, and a week later got orders from two more hatcheries. Total was 52 chicks, all brooded together in a space 4 feet by 7 feet until they were able to move outside around 3-4 weeks old (it was summertime). None of them had any vaccinations, and I did not see any signs of illness.

 

[TARDIS37379]

I’m melding chicks today from 3 hatcheries. Once they get a bit of age, they’ll be split by breed.
I run my coops like a prison, in the sense there is isolation, general population, and specific sections. There are four breeds from four hatcheries and hatched here. Everyone does isolation when they arrive.
I do occasionally get an adult bird or two as well.