Can I Separate Chicks?

[ChickenGirl555]

I have essentially two age groups of chicks in my too-small brooder. One group is fully feathered and ready to be outside, however the other are just now starting to feather out. They’ve been together for a couple weeks, though, and are well integrated together. I have an outdoor coop ready and our brooder is too small to hold the growing, fully-feathered chicks anymore. Therefore....I want to take out the ones that are ready while keeping the younger ones inside until they feather out. Wisconsin weather has been temperamental for the past month, with it snowing and sticking last night, so I don’t think they could live outside without full feathering.

Now the question is...will they still re-integrate smoothly with each other after a week or two of separation? Is this too long, or would we be ok? We have several cockerels—about 4-5 of the total 11. The cockerels are all a part of the older group, though.

Thanks for the help!

 

[M-H-Fielding]

They should be fine.
I like your PFP, BTW.

 

[ChickenGirl555]

They should be fine.
I like your PFP, BTW.

Thank you! I will separate them this weekend, then.

 

[0die]

can you put heat in the coop and keep them together?

 

[ChickenGirl555]

can you put heat in the coop and keep them together?

The best heat source I have at the moment is a heating plate. Last night I put out 5 of the 11, and it was down to 36F but they were all good and alive this morning. I offered heat but they didn't use it. The 6 smaller ones are still in the house but feathering more each day, so hopefully they could get out this weekend with the others. I'm not sure if the little ones could handle the cold, or if they'd find/use the heater. Also, I used my small spare coop, so it definitely could not house a heat lamp without burning down.

So in order to put them together again, I'm wondering if bantams can handle the same temps once they're feathered? Or should I wait until they grow bigger? Also, can silkies handle the same temps? I have one silkie fully feathered but I left it in the house because I was unsure about how much they can handle with their silkie feathers.

 

[K0k0shka]

If you give them a brooder/heating plate, the kind they can crawl under, then they'll be fine outside, even the small ones. People brood outdoors with a brooder plate (or a broody hen) even in colder temperatures and the chicks are fine as long as they have something warm to crawl under occasionally to warm up. You can introduce them to the brooder plate now, before they go outside, and give them a few days to get used to it. Remove all other heat sources but the plate, and show them how to go under for heat (stuff them under there yourself, they'll catch on quickly). When they get into the habit to go under it for heat, take them all outside, older ones and younger ones together, with the brooder plate.

I have babies that hatched with a broody outside during a snowstorm a few weeks ago. Temps still dip to the 30s at night. The chicks are totally fine, and are spending a lot of time out even on cold days, going under mom only occasionally to warm up. They don't need 90 degrees everywhere all the time like some advice would lead you to believe (and they certainly don't need a heat lamp to keep the whole space warm).