Hi, we hatched a brood of 20 barnyard chicks about 10 days ago and they have been doing fine in their brooder under a lamp. This morning, I was letting the hens out of the coop when 7 or 8 brand new chicks wobbled out from underneath the coop. I'm not quite set up for two brooder pens, but is that what I need? Can these chicks go in with the older ones, or is that going to end badly?
These 7 or 8 that wobbled out---do they have a Mother?? If so why not let her take care of them?? I would not mix 1 day old chicks with 10 day old chicks----because of the size difference and the 1 day old might get smothered. Now when the new ones get a couple weeks old I would try mixing them with the 10 day older ones and I usually have no problem with that. But again---I always let Mother hen take care of them if possible.
