Newtoraisingchicks
In the Brooder
- Aug 30, 2023
- 10
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Hello. I am currently raising 15 chicks ranging from 3 days old to 4 weeks old. I have 8 of them, ages 3-4 weeks together in a brooder box. In another brooder box, I have 6 chicks who range from 1-3 weeks old. They are all a couple of days apart, from a staggered hatch. My youngest is just 3 days old, and has curly toes, so I have been doing physical therapy with him and keeping him separate from the others. I also have 2 eggs left that have not yet hatched, and may or may not. I am almost finished building a coop that is large enough for all potentially 17 of them, and I am hoping to be able to keep them all together in it. I am new to raising chicks, and not sure the best way to go about it. I have heard I should not keep chicks together who are more than 2 weeks apart in age. Is there any way to get all these chicks to live together in a coop? I have 4 other adult birds in an outside coop and I'd like to eventually put them all together, but I am planning on keeping the chicks all in the new coop for now, until everyone is fully feathered. My question is, what is the best way to go about introducing all these chicks to each other, and at what ages is it safe to do so? Do I need to plan on keeping just the oldest group, within 2 weeks of each other in the new coop and keep the smaller ones in other brooder boxes? When can I introduce them all to each other and what is the best way of doing that? Thanks so much for your input!