Can I add one newborn to a brooder with two-week-old chicks?

[Quailberries]

I live in an area that only permits 4 hens maximum. About a week ago me and my family got our first ever chickens- a flock of four three-day-old chicks. Unfortunately, our EE was soon discovered to have a really horrible cross beak (https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-is-she-going-to-be-ok.1301461/#post-21202768). Last night we ended up deciding to cull her.

Despite our obvious emotional setback, we still are very interested in keeping 4 hens. Is it too late to introduce another to the flock? We would be getting a one-day-old chick on Wednesday, making my 3 chicks about 2 weeks old when trying to integrate. Our brooder is huge, and we're more than comfortable putting multiple drinkers/feeders out if it would help. If we can integrate, are there any warning signs to look out for? We have a Leghorn who has grown very large and we're a little nervous about her hurting the little one. There's an extra brooder if the first encounter doesn't go well, but we would like to have the newborn in there for as short of a time as possible as she would be all alone. Thanks!

 

[AlleysChicks]

It would probably get trampled due to size difference. I’ve add different age chicks but usually it’s a standard chick or 7 to a group of started bantams.

 

[Quailberries]

It would probably get trampled due to size difference. I’ve add different age chicks but usually it’s a standard chick or 7 to a group of started bantams.

Oh dear! Is there any way of preventing that? We were thinking of possibly separating the chicks in the brooder with hardware cloth until the newborn got bigger. Do you think that would work?

 

[EggWalrus]

HC might work. I would keep the day old away from the 2 week old for about a month till the little one gets a bit of size on it. Once the little one is about 1 month, the size difference shouldn't matter much. I would worry about the little one being alone. I'd get 2 of them. Besides, one may turn out to be a rooster that needs to be culled.
Good luck!

 

[Nekopan]

I added a group of 3 day olds to my 2 week olds and had no issues. It was 4 younger to 2 older. I don’t know how well integrating a single little one would go.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

I live in an area that only permits 4 hens maximum. About a week ago me and my family got our first ever chickens- a flock of four three-day-old chicks. Unfortunately, our EE was soon discovered to have a really horrible cross beak (https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-is-she-going-to-be-ok.1301461/#post-21202768). Last night we ended up deciding to cull her.

Despite our obvious emotional setback, we still are very interested in keeping 4 hens. Is it too late to introduce another to the flock? We would be getting a one-day-old chick on Wednesday, making my 3 chicks about 2 weeks old when trying to integrate. Our brooder is huge, and we're more than comfortable putting multiple drinkers/feeders out if it would help. If we can integrate, are there any warning signs to look out for? We have a Leghorn who has grown very large and we're a little nervous about her hurting the little one. There's an extra brooder if the first encounter doesn't go well, but we would like to have the newborn in there for as short of a time as possible as she would be all alone. Thanks!

If your brooder is large just tape up a piece of hardware cloth. Watch them that way and you should be able to tell, maybe for a week until the day old gets a little bit bigger and then let them be all together and it should be fine. I wouldn’t put them together without a barrier right away. The little one could get attacked and hurt in just a few seconds.

 

[Fatherdowling]

If you add a divider to your brooder box, then the new chick should be fine. I don't recommend putting a 2 day old chuck with 2 week old chick's, they will probably be to to rough with her.

 

[SurferchickinSB]

Oh dear! Is there any way of preventing that? We were thinking of possibly separating the chicks in the brooder with hardware cloth until the newborn got bigger. Do you think that would work?

Yes, I am almost positive that will work because I have done it before. The little one will not feel alone because the hardware cloth does not take away visibility. The little one will most likely snuggle right up against the hardware cloth and the bigger ones will be close by. You just want to avoid any sort of problems, little ones can be easily injured and once the damage is done, it’s hard to fix.

 

[Mandy132]

I live in an area that only permits 4 hens maximum. About a week ago me and my family got our first ever chickens- a flock of four three-day-old chicks. Unfortunately, our EE was soon discovered to have a really horrible cross beak (https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-is-she-going-to-be-ok.1301461/#post-21202768). Last night we ended up deciding to cull her.

Despite our obvious emotional setback, we still are very interested in keeping 4 hens. Is it too late to introduce another to the flock? We would be getting a one-day-old chick on Wednesday, making my 3 chicks about 2 weeks old when trying to integrate. Our brooder is huge, and we're more than comfortable putting multiple drinkers/feeders out if it would help. If we can integrate, are there any warning signs to look out for? We have a Leghorn who has grown very large and we're a little nervous about her hurting the little one. There's an extra brooder if the first encounter doesn't go well, but we would like to have the newborn in there for as short of a time as possible as she would be all alone. Thanks!

They should be ok I have my five week old chicks with my babies we just waited till they could do better on there feet for the frist couple of days n watch them but they should be fine

 

[Stacyoung13]

I live in an area that only permits 4 hens maximum. About a week ago me and my family got our first ever chickens- a flock of four three-day-old chicks. Unfortunately, our EE was soon discovered to have a really horrible cross beak (https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-is-she-going-to-be-ok.1301461/#post-21202768). Last night we ended up deciding to cull her.

Despite our obvious emotional setback, we still are very interested in keeping 4 hens. Is it too late to introduce another to the flock? We would be getting a one-day-old chick on Wednesday, making my 3 chicks about 2 weeks old when trying to integrate. Our brooder is huge, and we're more than comfortable putting multiple drinkers/feeders out if it would help. If we can integrate, are there any warning signs to look out for? We have a Leghorn who has grown very large and we're a little nervous about her hurting the little one. There's an extra brooder if the first encounter doesn't go well, but we would like to have the newborn in there for as short of a time as possible as she would be all alone. Thanks!

I added 2-1 day silkies to my brooder of 9-1 1/2 week silkies without any problems. Good luck