Integrating chicks of different ages...problem?

[treldib]

We currently have a 5 week old Barred Rock Pullet, a 5 week old Buff Orpington Pullet, and a 3 week old Mystery Chick in our bathtub brooder. We have 28 California Grey Leghorn eggs in lockdown at the moment. Theres definetly enough space in the brooder, but would the older chicks pick on them?

 

[secuono]

I've had 3 groups of Japs hatch, 1st group is 4 weeks[3 birds], added a 3week chick. I just added 4 day old chicks[3 birds] to them, all are fine..

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Yes. If they are not brought up with the flock then yeah, they'll be dulley put in place.

I had a 4 week discrepency in age due to a weasel attack. I kept them in seperate cages, course the small ones walk right through most bars. And they were schooled most of the summer. Not all summer but basically the younger had free range older ones were kept in their pen until I let them out. Then again sometimes the young would run through the poultry netting and grab some of thier food. LOL. To thier dismay at times also.

In general, free ranging allows natural pecking order with different aged birds. Holding the older ones in longer and letting the younger out of their pen (which should be next to the older's pen) to me aided in intergration. There was no way the younger could go into that pen (not to mention that older pen being able to holding thier 2 week old bodies at first) yet the birds mingled in seperate groups out in open but if any peril occured would flock together.

I knew when they told me. That's when the young went into the olders coop to roost before night. Better coop and wanted to be there so that was the time. They always had free hand, it was the older ones I'd keep in the run until noon so the younger had the feel of the land.

 

[treldib]

Soo....? Slow introduction?

 

[PunkinPeep]

This depends on the temperaments of the birds, of course. But i would not have a problem putting those newbies in with the older ones. Though i would wait until they were two or three weeks old. In my experience, a big number of younger birds invading a few older birds works out pretty well. The little ones take over.

Watch them, of course, but you might not have too much problem at all.

I once integrated 2 weekers with 4 weekers and 6 weekers, and they all grew up together with no incidents.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Quote:
What this says. I may have made it sound longer but still stick with letting the young tell you if they think it's time to be with the others. As they're the ones that get scooled. Roughly at times but never did I see blood until I tried to integrate 5 mo olds to 5 mo flock of 5. Did'nt get too nasty then either though did see signs of blood then. It's a don't shut them up toghether and let them tell you thing is more of what I was saying.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Way off stick now:

I once painted for a person that had me take a break to stand by all the newly painted windows (by me) to look out on the humming birds. "is'nt it nice how they stop to allow another to feed...If only humans acted like that." he said. NOT TRUE. Humming birds fight hard and only the dom take first drink. Nice to live in virtual land in front of those perfectly painted windows but I prefer reality.

Peckign order is not just a chicken thing.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

K, let me have one more cordial and say about a retired man's thought on humming birds.

Highly intelligent person that did'nt read into the multitude of action going on in seconds. Slow it down and ya got chickens. To equate humans to birds then I want to be a barn swallow. Yet by nature I'm a ... dunno, snipe or cow bird?

 

[sourland]

As Egghead has alluded to dinosaurs = velociraptors = chickens. Do not introduce newborns to 5 week olds. That will be an almost guaranteed problem. When they are older introduce the older chicks to the younger in the environment of the younger. Since they will be outnumbered, all MAY go well.

 

[Judy]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-adding-to-your-flock

My babies are now in with the flock under the care of a very protective mother and doing fine. I've done little integration, always of chicks, and had good luck so far. I'm well aware it could have gone a lot worse.