Mixing chicks of different ages / picking

[Gtown Farmer]

When my six chicks were 1.5 weeks old, I got 2 additional and have been keeping them in a separate brooder because the others just seem so much bigger. Will the week old chicks be okay if I place them in the larger brooder with the 3 week olds? What's the rule around this?

Also, my brooder is 60 inches, by 24 inches. Is this large enough for 8 chicks?

I have one chick with a real bad attitude Ha! She is always picking the down feathers off of my golden comet chicks. Should I worry about this? The others are all great. I read somewhere that this bad picking habit can be learned by the other chicks and retard normal feathering.

Thanks for your help!

 

[Chicken Woman]

I would put them together and then watch and see how they act. I had to use chicken wire and made a divider with young ones on one side and older on the other. My brooder was bigger tho. Within 2 weeks they were so use to seeing one another that I took down the divider and all was well.
I think it worked because they could see each other and just got use to it.

 

[Gtown Farmer]

Thanks for the speedy response. I put them together today for a couple of hours and they seemed terrified. There are 4 Araucanas in there that are VERY bouncy. The little chicks stayed in a chilly corner and huddled together, so I popped them back into their safe haven. I'll make a larger brooder and do the chicken wire trick. How large should my brooder be?

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

60X 24 is big enough. just watch out for the meanie, they can do a lot of damage fast.

 

[Chicken Woman]

You might want to segregate your meany from everyone else in that brooder for a few days. Maybe he will get the message.

Putting the wire divider makes it so they can see one another but the older ones can't pick on the younger. After they have seen them for a couple weeks they won't think they are new to the flock but have always been there.

Good luck

 

[Gtown Farmer]

Thanks for the advice. I will try all of it. Boy, those Golden Comets are sweet little birds. I have 2. When I put my hand in the brooder, they come and rub up against it and even hop onto it for me to pick them up. The Araucanas on the other hand... Crazy in the head. I also have a Rhode Island Red and a Barred Rock (the 2 newest) and they also are very lovable and loving. I was reading in earlier posts that you have to socialize them from the start in order for them to be friendly. I agree that this pays off.

Thanks again folks!