Can you put younger chicks in with older ones?

[IggiMom]

I have some successive hatches going on, a few days apart from each other.

Can I put the newer ones in, or will the bigger ones pick on them?

I have not done hatching for myself before, always got chicks from a hatchery all at the same time.

Thanks.

 

[Nature Watcher]

They should be fine if they are no more than three days apart from each other.

 

[IggiMom]

Thanks!

 

[trilyn]

I actually put 1 1/2 week olds with 3 day olds. I put both sets in a different brooder box than what they were used to. I think it helped having a complete change of scenery and they all got along great! Hope this helps!

 

[Marlinchaser]

I have some together that are closer to 3 weeks apart, as long as the older ones allow the new ones to eat/drink, and are not picking on them everything will be fine. Just watch them for a little while.

 

[lovin'mychicks]

I too have put in younger chicks with older. I set two eggs two weeks after my last batch because I could not see throwing them out. Only one hatched and I put it in with the ones that were 2+ weeks older. I watched them closely for a day or two and they are doing fine now.

 

[calibersway]

at the moment i have all different breeds (cochins, silkies, a white rock, EE's, and mystery chicks) from 1 - 3.5 weeks old together, i've found over the past 3 years, when your introducing new ones in, as long as there is more than one, they seem to have no problem, especially if its new environment and the older/bigger ones don't start thinking 'oh this is mine, what are you doing here?' kind of thing.

My older chicks right now, seem very protective of the smaller little bannies.

 

[JennsPeeps]

We discovered last weekend that our 2-month-old chicks (pullets now?) aren't nearly as interested in the 2-week-olds as the year-olds are in hurting the 2-month olds.

(got that?)

So, we're going to try to integrate the youngest with the tweens rather than put the tweens in with the adults.