Can I put newly hatched chick with week old chicks?

[yellowswirl]

First time chickener! So excited! I wanted chickens for years and finally got husband on board.

So, we got 6 pullets last Wednesday. Sadly, one didn't make it. I called TSC and they said that they would give me another one to replace her. Now my question is, can I put her in the same brooder? If so, should I section her off with netting? The others will only be 1 week older. I know there is a temperature requirement, but if I have the brooder cut in half where the new one gets most of the heat, would that work?


Thanks so much for any advise!
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[Percheron chick]

They will be fine. I'd get 2 not just 1.

 

[yellowswirl]

Cool, thanks!

I don't know if they'd let me get two. They have a 6 minimum policy. I'll try.

Why 2?

 

[MamaRudey]

I also would not get only one as they will pick on it being smaller if it's just a single. One week is OK to integrate like that but I would not do it any older.

 

[Blooie]

I did it last year, with over a week difference in age, and I did it again this year. Had 11 week olders and added 4 day olds. No problems.

 

[ORChickFam]

We had one pass away the other day and picked up 2 new ones, put them in the brooder with the others and we didn't have an issue. Honestly don't even think my 10 day olds noticed the 5 day olds.

 

[Percheron chick]

They have a 6 chick policy to weed out the Easter buyers and the oh baby chicky fluffy butt buyer. Now that you have bought 6 they should sell you any amount you want. If they are willing to replace a single chick they will sell you an extra one. You never want to add a single bird to a flock no matter the age. You are setting a single bird up for failure and making the integration harder.

 

[Tatiana110]

We added 11 one day old chicks to 4 two week old chicks with no problems. Then a week later, we added 3 more chicks that were 3 days old. Then a week later, another 3. So the biggest age difference is now 4 weeks, the size difference is huge, but the older ones accepted the babies.

One thing to make sure is to add enough feeders and plenty of food, as the older chicks eat a lot, and the babies may not get their share.

 

[RubyNala97]

Thanks for all the advice on this thread. I'm new to chickens myself. I just finished my first incubation and got 2 adorable little silkie chicks out of a half dozen shipped eggs. I have more eggs I'm setting this week. So the next batch will be about 3&1/2 weeks younger then the first two. But the brooded is very long. So I'll split it down the middle with a screen in between for the first few days and then hopefully the can all be one big happy family. Around what age can you tell silkies apart, male from female?