mixing ages

[gbartha]

I am planing on ordering more baby chicks but I am not sure if I am able to mix ages. My current chicks right now are 3 weeks old. can they go outside at 5 weeks and then I can put the baby chicks in the brooder by then? Can 5 week old chicks mix ok with 10 week old chicks?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

They can go outside depending on ambient temperature. I have mine outside with no heat and they range from 2-4 weeks. But it is in the 90s-100 during the day and 70s/80s at night.
The earlier you mix various age birds together, the better. From 5-10 weeks they're starting to work out the pecking order and adding younger birds may be more problematic. The more space they have the better.

If you're getting chicks that are older than day old, you may want to quarantine before mixing them.