Introducing Chicks to Each Other

[ecollins7]

I have 9 chicks that hatch between Friday and Saturday and then three more that hatched on Monday morning. I have kept the 3 separate since Monday to allow them to get stronger and walk around a little before being introduced to the other 9 chicks. I was wondering if there is a certain way that I should go about introducing them to the others or if they will be fine if I just place them all together. Please let me know, I do not want any harm to any of my chicks. Also, one of the 3 that hatched on Monday has bent toes that I am going to correct with sandals, would that cause a problem when putting all 12 of my chicks together? Thanks for the help!

 

[donrae]

You can just put them all together. They're young and basically the same age, so shouldn't have any issues.

Can't help you on the toe issue, sorry.

 

[lazy gardener]

Put the little one with the shoes in with the rest of them. If you find that it gets trampled, you might need to separate for a bit, perhaps with a wire divider so they will be "together" but divided! You might give the little one a friend if you need to separate it for a while.

 

[ecollins7]

The little one with the shoes also has a scab on his beak. When I put him in with the other ones one of them packed at his beak and made him bleed. Many of them seem to be concerned with the blood and are pecking at it. I can distract them by putting my hand in with food in it but what else can I do? Or do I let it go?

 

[littlelizzy123]

From what people have been saying, I can't say myself, but I would try the "separate but together" approach" with the wire divider. The bleeding will make the others more apt to pick on him. He's little already, and it won't help him grow and be healthy if the others are pecking him to death.

 

[JulieAGill]

I have 2 chicks that are 7 weeks old and 3 that are 6 weeks old. But, one of the 3 was not raised with the other two. Any suggestions on getting the 5 of them used to each other? Right now they are all in my guest room in three different cages and the coop is almost done.

 

[jtn42248]

I have 2 chicks that are 7 weeks old and 3 that are 6 weeks old. But, one of the 3 was not raised with the other two. Any suggestions on getting the 5 of them used to each other? Right now they are all in my guest room in three different cages and the coop is almost done.

If they can see and hear one another in their cages any conflict when you put them together should be lessened...not eliminated sadly. There will be some pecking order conflict and that is to be expected. Are they all pullets? Are any of them roosters? How big is the coop going to be? The more room you have in the coop and run the less conflict there should be as they will have room to get away from one another and stake out space for themselves. Just be prepared to separate them when you put them out together just in case there is any serious fighting which I doubt there will be. Have you tried putting the 3 that are 6 weeks old together yet? Have you tried giving them some outside time to get acclimated to one another? You might try that and be surprised Good luck.

 

[JulieAGill]

Picture 1: the 7 week old chicks.
Picture 2: one of the 6 week old chick who was hand raised from an egg.
Picture 3: siblings of the chick in picture 2, raised with their mama.

The little blacks one and the red one in picture 2: their mama is black and white. In fact, the black ones are starting to get the white feathers now too. They are very quiet compared to the little red one. Her former owner tried a few times to put her back with mama but the hen kept trying to kill it. I can't tell what sex they are.
Their coop, now finished enough for them to be put in it and be safe is 6 foot by 7 foot in the run area. the house itself has plenty of room for the 5 of them. I am going to either have to move them out of the room they are in now and put them in the coop together, or, try to put the 3 siblings together in one cage and let the two older ones run around the coop because my daughter and her family are coming this weekend and they will be sleeping in the room where the chicks are right now.

 

[JulieAGill]

Sorry the sentences got mixed up as to the picture descriptions. The 7 week old chicks are the white and red one.