How to 3 week old chicks with 2 day old chicks???

ragerkid2

Songster
8 Years
Apr 16, 2011
661
8
131
Johnstown Pa
I got 9 light baramas and then found out that it's straight run and I'm getting rid of the Roos. So I want more little pullet girls. Can I put the 3 day ole babies with the three week old chicks or will the bog girls kill the little girls??
 
Can you put a barrier of some kind in the brooder? Like a screen where they can see each other but not get at each other? Do that for a few days then remove and see how they get along. If the bigger ones pick on the smaller add the barrier up again for a few more days.
 
We introduced four 2-4 day old babies into a brooder with three 3 week olds and one 2 week old chicks. All are large fowl and one of the older ones is a Brahma so she is huge. Our older chicks were terrified of the babies. They all ran to a corner to hide. One of the little olive eggers charged the big ones and even jumped on their backs! It took the older ones about 20 min. before they were back to roaming all over the brooder. We watched them carefully for the couple of days. One of the older ones, pretty sure it's a he, did peck on the babies every once in a while but the little ones didn't put up with it and pecked back. It might depend on the personalities of your older ones and your little ones. It worked for us and we now have 9 little chicks ranging from 1 1/2 weeks to 4 1/2 weeks living together happily in a converted baby crib brooder!
 
I have 6 6-week old pullets and I just got 8 1.5-week old pullets. I put them in a brooder together but after 20 minutes there was a bit of pecking and I was afraid of what would happen the longer they were together unsupervised. I divided the brooder into two sections with an old window pane. They seem to be doing much better now. At first they all stayed close to the divider and the older chicks puffed up and acted aggressive towards the babies. After a few days they pretty much went about their business. I think this will be good for them. In a few weeks when the younger ones are feathered out I plan on removing the divider at least part of the time. From what I've read this helps with flock integration. Hope this helps.
 
Thanks for asking this... I was wondering how I was going to do it when I finally merged my two little groups together
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