Mixing Ages of Chicks

[mraymond]

Ok so I have 6 - three week old chicks, 2 or 3 are hens, which i am keeping, the remaining Roosters are going to a friend who has a farm, I just hatched out 14 new babies today. I want to wait about a week and then move the new chicks - hens and 1 Roo in with the older hens so that I don't have to worry about mixing them at a later date, could I move them into the same brooder once the younger are about a week old, then wait a couple weeks and move everyone out to there coop with heat if needed? I am worried about bullying but feel if it's only 2 or 3 older with the younger where I can watch them inside for a week or 2 I may be ok with the mixing of ages. I've tried integrating when older and what a nightmare. Will the 4 week olds bully the 1 week olds badly or if I give the younger an area too small for the bigger and that they can get away from the older should it sort itself out okay?

 

[igorsMistress]

In my experience, it's. better if you keep them separated for a bit. The older kids run around and don't even consider whether they're trampling anyone smaller than them and I've have older chicks kill smaller ones in the past. It doesn't always happen and your experience could differ. Can you maybe keep them separated in the coop by a hardware cloth wall so they can see each other but not mingle until the littles are closer in size to the older birds?

 

[NatJ]

could I move them into the same brooder once the younger are about a week old... I am worried about bullying but feel if it's only 2 or 3 older with the younger where I can watch them inside for a week or 2 I may be ok with the mixing of ages. I've tried integrating when older and what a nightmare. Will the 4 week olds bully the 1 week olds badly or if I give the younger an area too small for the bigger and that they can get away from the older should it sort itself out okay?

I think that might work.

By the time the younger ones are a week old, they know how to eat and drink, and they can run around pretty well to avoid getting stepped on.

Since you have 14 newly-hatched chicks, and will have only 2-3 older ones, that will help too (no big group of older chicks ganging up on a small number of young ones.)

You already know to watch them carefully at first. I would say if it goes well for the first few days together, it will probably continue to go well.

I would not try to make a littles-only area unless you see a problem. Chicks grow so fast that you would be constantly re-adjusting to let in the little ones (getting bigger) while keeping out the bigger ones (who are also getting bigger.) But if you do see a problem, then yes that idea could be worth trying.

A large brooder can also help. The more they are crowded into a small space, the more likely that the big ones will pick on the little ones.

Things to do can help too: maybe perches to sit on, a clump of sod to pull apart, boxes to run around and hide behind. But putting things in the brooder will fill up the space, so you don't want to overdo it.

Here is a post in another recent thread, where someone combined a group of younger chicks with a few older ones:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...by-turkey-poults.1614302/page-4#post-27570659
Their chicks seem to be doing well so far. The numbers and ages are similar to what you are dealing with.

 

[mraymond]

I think that might work.

By the time the younger ones are a week old, they know how to eat and drink, and they can run around pretty well to avoid getting stepped on.

Since you have 14 newly-hatched chicks, and will have only 2-3 older ones, that will help too (no big group of older chicks ganging up on a small number of young ones.)

You already know to watch them carefully at first. I would say if it goes well for the first few days together, it will probably continue to go well.

I would not try to make a littles-only area unless you see a problem. Chicks grow so fast that you would be constantly re-adjusting to let in the little ones (getting bigger) while keeping out the bigger ones (who are also getting bigger.) But if you do see a problem, then yes that idea could be worth trying.

A large brooder can also help. The more they are crowded into a small space, the more likely that the big ones will pick on the little ones.

Things to do can help too: maybe perches to sit on, a clump of sod to pull apart, boxes to run around and hide behind. But putting things in the brooder will fill up the space, so you don't want to overdo it.

Here is a post in another recent thread, where someone combined a group of younger chicks with a few older ones:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...by-turkey-poults.1614302/page-4#post-27570659
Their chicks seem to be doing well so far. The numbers and ages are similar to what you are dealing with.

Thank you so much for your response and the link to the other thread! Seems I only have 1 older Hen after all so she will be alone with the littles so thinking that will help as well