Intro and chick questions

[Lydia]

Hello- I'm Lydia and I live in Seattle. I just got my first 4 chicks from a feed store in Issaquah and I believe that at least one of the chicks is probably a couple of weeks old because she is significantly larger than the other chicks and has a lot more feathers, including tail feathers, than the others. I purchased two gold laced wyandottes and I believe two ameraucanas although I'm not sure.

Question 1-I would like to get a couple of more chicks to make my brood complete but don't know how to introduce the day old chicks- once they arrive from the feed store- to the one and two week old chicks we purchased at the feed store. BTW, the chicks we purchased at the feed store weren't all in the same pen but were put all together to bring them home and have been living together harmoniously with no issues. Should I keep the day olds away from the two week old chicks until a certain point or will they blend together well with some supervision because they are so small?

Question 2- What do you keep your chicks in until they are ready to go outside to the coop? How long do you keep them inside? Someone recommended a small kiddie pool but I wanted to see what other people use in case there is a better option.

Thanks in advance for any help and suggestions you may have, I'm glad to be a part of this group.

Lydia

 

[bangor777]

Hi! And Welcome. Look at the top of the raising chicks board for the first post on brooders. It will give you tons of ideas! You can use cardboard, rubbermaid, kiddie pools, or a million other things. as far as your current chicks I would lean towards leaving them together if they're already getting along. The heat might be an issue as their temp requirements drop as they get older....someone else with more experience might be able to help you with that! Welcome!

 

[bluebirdfarm]

i have 2 silver laced wyandottes that are 2 weeks old and possible EE same age .

 

[BearSwampChick]

Hello, Lydia, and

Try putting the new chicks into a clear plastic container inside the brooder with the older chicks so they can see each other and then after a few days or a week maybe, introduce the two sets of chicks. Watch them for a while to make sure the older ones accept the younger ones. They should be okay.

Susan

 

[Lydia]

Thanks for the information, that is so helpful! I'm just waiting for the feed store to call me and let me know that the chicks are in and ready for pick-up. It's like waiting for a baby to arrive, its all you think about.

Lydia