Chick advice

[KowTippin]

I purchased 5 chicks and 4 of them died within 48 hours. The hatchery has given me credit for the ones that died but now I need to get some more chicks so my lone survivor isn't by herself. How far apart between hatches can I have the chicks and still put them together? I have 11 other chickens but they are 16 weeks old that I got all at the same time so I've never come across this. Thanks for any input!

 

[write2caroline]

They grow a lot in a week. Mine have nearly doubled in size. You could most likely put them together but I would keep the one near the others and put it in with the smaller ones when they get a week old so that the older chick is not walking on top of newly hatched chicks.

I am sorry about your losses. It is heartbreaking.

Caroline

 

[Afterburner]

I have been told, when concerning chicks, the mixed chicks shouldn't have an age difference greater that 10 days from the youngest to the oldest. Thus the youngest chick can be a newborn while your oldest will be 11 days old. The reason you don't want too large a difference is that chicks huddle together under the heat source and the larger birds can injure the younger ones. If one of your local feed stores doesn't have any chicks, I would suggest looking at Craig's list. Often farmers will sell surplus straight run chicks there.

Finally, since you have older, adult birds that are 16 weeks of age, I suggest avoid integrating your new chicks with the older birds until they are at least three to four months of age.

 

[donrae]

I've mixed chicks up to 4 weeks apart in age in the brooder and done just fine. You just need to be sure there's lots of space.