can I put lone day-old in with 10-day olds, partitioned, w/sep. lamp?

[patandchickens]

I think I'm only getting the one chick out of this hatch

-- I couldn't stand it any more and very briefly candled the other 3 eggs, and they just don't look right to me (like I'd know... but, still).

I do have 9 day-old chicks plus 3 poults coming on Saturday morning (being picked up at hatchery), so in a few days the lone-chick problem should be solved (assuming he can get along with them being younger -- I did not anticipate him hatching so early...)

I have ten 10-day-old red broiler chicks in a big brooder right now. Any chance that I could make the lone day-old a box with one or two windowscreen windows, and put it *in* the bigger chicks' brooder, with its own lamp? So that he can at least see other chicks?

Or would this be a really bad idea and I'd be better off just giving him isolation quarters and a mirror, until Saturday?

Any advice appreciated,

Pat, hoping the darn thing will even *survive*

 

[daisychick]

I would give it separate quarters for a while. Until it gets it's strength up and maybe wait until the other little ones get there to introduce them to each other first. Then you could maybe put the whole little group in a partitioned area of the big brooder. I would still keep the little ones sectioned off from the 9 day olds until they are all about the same size. It is hard to mix ages when they are so little, but as they all grow and even out size wise it gets easier. I just now put my 7 week olds in with my 10 week olds.

 

[patandchickens]

Oh, sorry, I should have clarified -- the 10-day-old red broiler chicks are going out to a brooder pen in the kennel tomorrow unless I deliberately keep them in the basement longer as company for the lone hatched chick.

The ones coming Saturday will be a separate batch, not mixed with the older broiler chicks at all. (Put in the brooder box in basement for 2 wks, then out to a *different* brooder pen in the kennel bldg).

So, what do I do?

Pat

 

[daisychick]

I would introduce the lone chick to the new babies coming Saturday. They should be fine together. I had a lone chick for 3 weeks and it was fine. Give it a stuffed toy or something to snuggle with.