Integrating two day old chicks with week old chicks?

[maine5mama]

Howdy everyone, last week I picked up 6 chicks (3 Barred Rocks and 3 Goldens) and then today picked up our remaining 6 (3 Araucanas and 3 Buff Orpingtons) from our local Agway. Anyone have any tips on introducing the new chicks to the slightly older ones? They will all be one flock and are only about a week apart in age, but our initial pairing of them together in resulting in a lot of feet pecking by the older chicks and general scuffles around the brooder. Okay to let this go on and will it eventually sort itself out? I'm hesitant to separate them for too long, but also wondering if perhaps it's better for the itty bitty chicks to get a little bigger before I put them all together. Any advice or experiences are greatly appreciated! Thanks so much!!

 

[Mervin]

Two weeks ago I picked up some chicks that were two-days-old. When they were about a week old, I picked up some others that were also a week old. There were also two three-week-old chick in that batch as well. When I got them home, I mixed them together and don't really seem to have any problems. The only issue I had was temperature. The older chicks really couldn't take the heat the little ones needed. So, I got a bigger cardboard box and put the lamp at one end. Under the light it's about 10 degrees warmer for the younger birds. At this point, the older chicks seems to be getting pushed down the order by a bossy little RIR chick. Things seem to be okay.

 

[gryeyes]

A week's difference is perfectly fine - I mixed chicks over a period of 1 month, adding some each week for 3 weeks. The littlest ones held their own. I just had to grit my teeth and suffer through each bout of pecking order being re-established each time.

Keep a careful eye on the newcomers to make sure there's no damage that causes blood. Mine only suffered the feet pecking and a few pecks to the backs of their heads, without feather loss or bleeding. Just squawks and loud peeping as they dashed away from the Head Chick. It settled down within two days, each time.

I was a nervous wreck, but the chicks survived just fine.

 

[cjvdub]

Monday I introduced three chicks a day old in with 6 chicks that are one week old. The toe picking went on for a minute or two. So I put extra feed in the feeder tray and moved the water dishes. The older chicks were infinitely more interested in that and I didn't notice any more picking. Literally, within two minutes, all was well.

 

[bantybev]

If they seem to be picking on the little guys you could always put a screen or hardware cloth divider in the brooder for a couple days so they can see each other, but not touch. After a week, when the smaller ones have more size and strength, remove the divider and see how they all get along. I did this with 1 and 2 week olds and it worked great. At the end of one week, they were 2 and 3 weeks old. The youngest ones were a bit larger, faster and stronger and able to hold their own better.

 

[maine5mama]

Thanks for all the great tips, everyone! I am going to see how they do this afternoon and if there are still lots of scuffles, I may try the screen divider. I'm also hoping once they all settle down and take a snooze they will wake up and not care so much about each other! The humans in this house will need to sleep tonight without worrying about what's going on in the brooder.