I have five Speckled Sussex that are 3 weeks old and six Buff Orpingtons that are one week old. I started the Buff Os out in a seperate brooder from the Sussex, but was advised to integrate the groups as soon as possible. They have now been together in a larger brooder for three days and it seems to me the Sussex are eating all the time and preventing the Buff Os from eating very much at all. They all look healthy, but the Sussex are so much bigger than the Buff Os that the little girls are easily chased off from the feeders (I have two feeders in there, plus some just sprinkled in the litter in an effort to give the Buff Os feeding options). Should I seperate these groups with a chicken wire divider, or should I just leave them alone to work it out?
How many feeders/waterers do you have in there? I integrated mine of the same ages, separated with wire for 5 days, then just added more feeders and waterers when I took the separation out.
I have two feeders in there and one large waterer (but I have two smaller waterers available that I could put back in). Maybe I'll put up a wire divider for a few days (or a week) to make sure the Os are getting enough to grow on and then take it down. Thanks!
Yep, that should work well for you. I had my divider up for about 5 days. Was shooting for a week, but the big peeps kept flying over to sleep with the little peeps after a few days, lol.
I was hoping to put two batches together also. I have about 50 chicks coming from one hatchery and another 25 coming from a different hatchery on or about the same day. I hope I can put these guys all together in the brooder or at least in two brooders close together so they can get used to each other. There are several different breeds and I have 2 coops that I will be able to move them into once they are out of the brooder but I need to see who will get along with whom to start. I figure someone is going to be a pain and the orps will need to be kept more to themselves, maybe with some Silkies.