Integrating 3 day old chicks with 2 week old chicks?

[Coop-de-coop]

I promise I searched forum for some time for answer to this question: how quickly can put 3 chicks arriving from Meyer’s this week in with 8 chicks currently 2 weeks old? The new arrivals are replacements for two who were DOA. I’m thinking 1-2 days on their own to recover from their journey, then put them in same brooder but separated by small gauge hardware cloth for a few days before setting them loose with the others. The largest chick is already quite the boss. Thoughts?

 

[tsperry88]

I had intended to mix 2 week olds with new new chicks after a week of separation by hardware cloth. I tested it at that age and they got along fine, but I watched a big one accidentally stop on a little one and the little one just laid sprawled out. I thought she was injured. 5 seconds later she jumped up and ran off to eat. The size difference concerned me enought that that I waited untill the young ones were 3 weeks old before letting them hang out together. The 2 roosters had initial spats, and one hen is a bully, but they get along great now. I had 2 heat plates which made keeping separate brooder brooder areas really easy. The photos are at 1 week and 3 weeks and 5 weeks and 3 weeks. The big chicks were hogging the trough feeder.

 

[Coop-de-coop]

I had intended to mix 2 week olds with new new chicks after a week of separation by hardware cloth. I tested it at that age and they got along fine, but I watched a big one accidentally stop on a little one and the little one just laid sprawled out. I thought she was injured. 5 seconds later she jumped up and ran off to eat. The size difference concerned me enought that that I waited untill the young ones were 3 weeks old before letting them hang out together. The 2 roosters had initial spats, and one hen is a bully, but they get along great now. I had 2 heat plates which made keeping separate brooder brooder areas really easy. The photos are at 1 week and 3 weeks and 5 weeks and 3 weeks. The big chicks were hogging the trough feeder.

Good to know-that gives me a place to start & idea of I might expect. Replacement chicks arrive Wednesday— fingers crossed for healthy ones!

 

[Peckyweck01]

I had intended to mix 2 week olds with new new chicks after a week of separation by hardware cloth. I tested it at that age and they got along fine, but I watched a big one accidentally stop on a little one and the little one just laid sprawled out. I thought she was injured. 5 seconds later she jumped up and ran off to eat. The size difference concerned me enought that that I waited untill the young ones were 3 weeks old before letting them hang out together. The 2 roosters had initial spats, and one hen is a bully, but they get along great now. I had 2 heat plates which made keeping separate brooder brooder areas really easy. The photos are at 1 week and 3 weeks and 5 weeks and 3 weeks. The big chicks were hogging the trough feeder.

I like your set up, maybe I will try to build one like that!