Chicks 4 weeks apart?

[kajira]

Our room upstairs reaches temps of 80-90 with AC during the daytime, we only use the heatlamp at night with AC on, or we would roast the chickens. (we had the heat lamp temps reach 117 before we figured out to just turn the darn thing off 90% of the time. LOL)

Anyways, I'm moving the older chicks to a metal-framed dog crate in a couple more weeks, once they don't need the heatlamp at night, and can start to jump out of the bin.

I'm getting 9 more chicks, 3 sexed link, 3 polish crested, and 3 blue cochins - White fluff, and our cochin rooster have really "sold" me on cochins. They are all so friendly and nice, and despite other people telling me they are broody and poor layers, she's faithfully laid 5-6 eggs per week so far.

Can the new chicks interact with the older chicks, or should I wait till everyone's grown up and integrate more slowly? I know I'll wait till my chicks are all about 12 weeks to start introducing them to my older flock - the easter eggers are going to have their own coop - but i wanted to throw 1-2 of the cochins (assuming all survive) in with the easter eggers. the polish crested, and 2 sex links are going in with my main flock - and 1 sex link will go in with the easter eggers as well.

We will have 3 roosters (assuming all roosters survive) and I want make sure there's plenty of hens so the males don't fight.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I integrate my chicks to the large flock at 4-8 weeks, this year they were all out at 4 weeks. I would get them out of your house, chick can really stink. I would integrate the older ones now than add the younger one in a few weeks.

Being kept in a brooder too long can cause chicks to start pecking each other. Mine go outside if the weather is nice in their first week and are only in the brooder at night.

 

[kajira]

I integrate my chicks to the large flock at 4-8 weeks, this year they were all out at 4 weeks. I would get them out of your house, chick can really stink. I would integrate the older ones now than add the younger one in a few weeks.

Being kept in a brooder too long can cause chicks to start pecking each other. Mine go outside if the weather is nice in their first week and are only in the brooder at night.

We want to hand raise them so they like us - so they'll be moved to a larger area in a week or so - then the new chicks will take their brooders, we'll be building them a coop in about 2-3 weeks, and can move them eventually, but it is too hot for them outside right now. I don't want them to die of heat stroke.

It's 105-110 for long periods during the daytime, and barely reaches 75-85 at night. I want them to have their feathers first.

Edited : I ordered my daughter 2 white silkies to be house chickens anyways - they'll be living in a rabit hutch in her room and only taken outside with supervision. She's going to use them for a 4h project.

We clean the brooders/cages 3-4x a day right now, and they can't stink any worse than my cats, or my teenager.