combining different aged chicks (i know, again) *long-winded posted*

[PunkinPeep]

Hey Pedste, it's PunkinPEEP.

For posterity and updates,

i now have all three 6 weekers, four 5 weekers, and the 3 babies in the indoor brooder together.

the little ones, who i was most worried about, are the safest of all. they run in and out of everyone else's legs and eat and drink with them and scratch with them, and no one minds.

the barred rock pullets seem to have a cold shoulder for the big cockerels, but the boys don't bother them unless they're bothered first.

so tomorrow early morning, i plan to put them, (yes, Pedste, all of them) in the big outdoor brooder, where i feel they'll have plenty of room. and i can watch them through the side window where they don't see me very easily and see what they do.

i think there will be so many girls that the cockerels will huddle in their corner for safety. that's my prediction.

and i think that the babies will quickly become just one of the flock.

i'll letcha know.

P.S. Pedste and i are personal friends, and there is no angst between us. We talk roughly 45 times a day about what we're doing with our chickens; she's just trying to hijack my thread or make me laugh or something....not sure what.

But i love her.

 

[robbdebbie]

If the roosters are not "mature" you have just as much chance of the girls picking on someone as the roosters. I find my older buff orpingtons pick on my new ones the most. I just tried to put 3 adult cochins in my coop (one rooster) to no avail. It wasn't my other roosters that was the problem, but one of my buff orpingtons. She put the smack down to put it nicely.

I guess what I am trying to say is that you should know pretty quick if there are BIG problems, but don't quit checking in on them because things can start getting bad. I also make a small area that the littlest ones can get in to through a crack but the big ones can get to them.

Good luck

 

[Bedste]

WOW..... that is great! I am so excited to find out how they get along.. I love imagining all of them together already... wow...

You forgot to mention One Eyed Jack! Hey we can even call him the wild card.. LOL

BYC is a great place to learn from everyone elses experiences and mistakes.... I wonder if I could put a group of 10 youngins in an exsisting flock and get harmony too.

 

[Bedste]

I have heard that before....giving the smaller ones a place to hide if needed....

 

[PunkinPeep]

Well, we experimented in the night, and everyone did fairly well. So this morning, everyone is in the big outdoor brooder together. And so far so good.

This is weird though: all of my barred rocks seem to hate the older cockerels. They'll just walk up to one and peck him in the eye. No one has hurt anyone else, and they seem to be working it out, mostly by voluntary segregation. But i just think it's interesting that that breed would attack the older boys like that.