Introducing my 2 week old chicks to my 4 week old chicks

[WendyDr]

Hello,
Does anyone have any advice or tips on introducing my 2 wk old chicks to my 4 wk old chicks? I know it doesn't seem like a big age difference but since they're all going on 3 wks & 5 wks now,the going on 3 wk olds if you will, seem much smaller than my, going on 5 wk olds. I have different breeds in 2 seperate brooders 5 wk olds consist of 1 lav orp,1 blrw,2 standard polish, 2 polish frizzles,2 silkies,1 showgirl & 2 bantam polish

My other brooder has my 3 wk olds that are 1 Red Star,1 columb wyandotte, 1 wc black Polish & 2(1 wk old) buff orps...Phew! I would like to put them all together in the "Big" but temp brooder/holding house while we build the coop just because I would simply like them to all be together & out of my basement!

Should I just try to put them in with the others using a distraction method on the older birds such as crickets lol or wait?? I may wait on putting the 2 week old orps in as they're still on the small side but Whew...growing rapidly! Any advice would help! Thank you in advance

 

[Blackberry18]

I recommend waiting until they are near the same size.

When I mix my new bird with my flock, I keep them in a separate, adjacent pen where they can see each other, and make sure the top is covered. After a few weeks, allow them to merge. If the encounter is too aggressive, then try again later.
Good luck!

 

[WendyDr]

Thank you for responding

I'll do that, that makes sense.

 

[azygous]

If you do nothing but get them all within sight of each other, that is the most important thing you can do. Keeping them separate and not letting them be aware of one another's existence, will cause them to develop separate units, making it much harder to merge, even after they become of similar size.

I would let them exist side by side within sight of each other for a week, then merge them. some people have had success with taking a few members out of one group and inserting them into another, swapping members until everyone has had the chance to spend a little time with every other group. Then toss them all together and see what happens.

Usually, when it's just a two-week age difference, chicks adapt to each other very quickly.

 

[WendyDr]

I think my almost 3 wk olds would probably be fine with the others since they are of similar size if not bigger to my little almost 5 wk old bantam polish that have been with all of the other almost 5 wk olds since day one. I would only be adding 3 which would be the red star, col wyandotte & the Wcbp. I don't think the (going on 2 wk old) buff orps are big enough to be with the bigger ones just yet so I'll wait on that one. The bigger chicks are good natured for the most part however I do have a polish female who is chest bumping with my Lav Orp (who is huge btw) That's the only one that is straight run so I have no idea if it's a male or female

Any way I could tell at 5 wks if it's a roo?

 

[WendyDr]

Well lastnight the younger chicks joined the older chicks & so far so good! It was by accident that it happened really. I put a mesh netting up to seperate them but the point was so they could see one another. They all pushed through within minutes & they all met. No pecking! No fighting! Success! Yay!!!! The 1.5 wk old buff orps joined the 4 wk olds as well & everyone is happy! Gotta love happy endings

 

[broomrider]

I introduced my two week old chicks with my four week old chicks by putting them together while the lights were out. Someone had told me this is how he does his quail. I turned the lights out on the four week old chicks for about 30 minutes and then put my two week chicks in. I left the lights out for the night and then turned them on in the morning. I've not had any problems with them at all. It might be coincidental but it has worked for me at least three different times.

 

[azygous]

Yay!