Letting 3wk olds Mingle with 14 wk Olds-Scared

[chfriedmam]

Hi, so I have 5 3-week old chicks in a brooder in the coop outside in SoCal (Highs in 80s, Lows in 50s) with a heat plate. They have been in there since day 2 or 3 with the other chickens seeing them. They are happy and doing great. I have some chicks hatch in a week and plan to keep them in the house for a week, then section off half the coop brooder and give it to them. So, maybe it's rushing the 3-wkers along a bit, but I was thinking of cutting a little chick-size door in the brooder so they can go out into the coop, but run back in for safety if needed. Maybe I'd also put a box or something to hide under as an "awning" right outside the door in the coop, so they can sit in there, and place a few things like that in the coop. Am I crazy? Do I need to wait a few more weeks? The oldest of my other chickens is 14 weeks, but of course they are giant, basically full size. Pics below.

 

[Jenbirdee]

aww they are so cute. i dont have chickens, only ducks and geese, but if they were ducklings, Id be nervous about that too. the little door idea sounds adorable, but I dont know if they could remember where their door is to run back in? I waited until my ducklings were big enough to defend themselves (2 months) before letting them into my adult duck flock. But I sometimes err on the side of caution. On the other hand, they might be just fine.

 

[Yardmom]

Ducks might not work for mixing different ages, but chickens do. I have done similar integrations. I have a fence area that littles can go under but older birds can't. Most of the time older birds ignore chicks.

 

[chfriedmam]

Ya i just found a good article here on it. I need to build/find some good shelter items and make sure everyone is well fed and happy- and then wait til i have a day off work to keep an eye on them.

Today i locked the big chickens out while i cleaned the brooder and the little chicks climbed the ladder up to the 4ft tall roost bars! So cute!