Can I put 5 week old chicks in with 3 month chickens?

[cas]

Hi,
I am wondering what to do with my 5 week old Rhoade Island Red chicks. We have other RRI "chicks" which are 18 weeks old now. I had the little chicks (about 6 inches tall) in with the others, just kind of baracaded so that they big ones couldn't get at them. This morning we decided to try to let them be all together. They are in a chicken-wire coop that is attached to the hen-house. The babies have no where to go to get away from the bigger chickens. At first the bigger ones were just "stomping" up to them and then running away. I just checked on them, and the bigger ones are now pecking at the little guys and they are all hovered into the corner peeping very loudly.

Should we let them stay together - will they finally just accept the little ones, or are the little guys in danger?

Thanks!
`cas

Actually, I check on them after writing the above post, and we decided to put up a barrier so the little ones are safe and we will remove the barrier (just chicken wire on a frame dividing the outside yard)
after the little ones aren't so little and can defend themselves. SORRY little guys!

 

[TK Poultry]

i really think that they would be ok but i couldnt tell you...i do now with my older chickens they do fine...i bought a new ameraucana cockerel and put him in my pen with the other chickens and they full blown attacked him and now after about a 3 or 4 days he seems to be intergrated...when i got my bantam cochin pullets i do remember the older chicks did beat on them a little but again they settled down but those pullets were about 8 weeks old and the older chicks were about 12 weeks or so... so you catch my point in time no matter the age i bet they will settle down and if not segregate them but as long as they can get away i really dont thing they are in immediate harm

 

[threehorses]

Absolutely not. First, they need vastly different foods. You should be feeding the babies starter til 6 weeks. The others need grower til at least 5 months or so.

The bigger ones will keep them from eating.

Wait a few weeks.

 

[cas]

Thanks so much for the info - They are doing much better in their own area now. I only had them with the bigger birds for a half of an hour and they seemed like they were exhusted just trying to get away from the big chickens, let alone eat anything. VERY DUMB IDEA!! Won't ever do it again!
Thanks again!
`cas

 

[threehorses]

lol Hey - I did the "dumb thing" a few times - not just once - and sometimes that's how my advice gains its insistence!

IN other words - I hope we don't counting mistakes made, because I'd be in trouble. /grin