mixing chicks of different ages

[Kim_1970]

Can you put few days old chicks in with 2-3 week old chicks? Would that be just asking for the babies to be picked on?

 

[Imp]

Quote:
I'm thinking the babies would be picked on.

Imp

 

[felidaet]

I mixed them together last year up to three weeks difference in age. This year I tried the same thing in a much larger brooder but was having problems with the 3 weeks olds stepping on the few day olds. I put a temporary divider in my brooder. Each half is 3' x 4'. The 11 older/bigger birds are in one end. The 11 smaller ones are in the other. Each 1/2 has it's own heat lamp, feeder, and water. I hope to remove the divider in about another week when the younger ones get a little bigger.

 

[mamdoe]

I asked this same question the other day.
I have 6 2 week olds and I just bought 6 almost one week olds (but they are all smaller types of chickens) The farm I bought the newbies from said that I should go ahead an mix them now cause it's easier. So I did. I had been planning on moving the older gals into a bigger brooder, so I set that up and put the new chicks in first, let them get all cozy and then added my older girls. Everything seemed to go smoothly. But now I'm noticing that the older girls are picking on each other....well 2 of them are picking on the others. I have been keeping a eye out for the littles and they don't seem to be getting bothered, all though I am worried they will get trampled!
I just put them together yesterday so I'm going to see how the next 12 hours goes.
I'd love to know how it works out for you.

 

[Theicequeen]

i have two weekers and i just got hatchlings and i tried putting them together but got too nervous,lol. So my plans where to put them all together in a week to a week and a half when my hatchlings are a little bit bigger.

 

[bock]

It will most likely NOT go well.

 

[Kim_1970]

Yeah I decided against it - one of my current chicks somehow had a feather from her tail plucked and bled. They of course became ferocious raptors and chewed her butt up, so she is in the smaller older brooder with a friend while the other 9 are in the large brooder now.

No room for more babies. I was going to get them but since my injured chick will be in the "extra" small brooder, I have no place to put new chicks if they were getting trampled by the older girls.
Oh well. Guess there is always another time.

 

[aclee]

I have one 6 week old chick in with 2-4 week old poults, and I just added 12 1 (ish) week old EE's. So far, they all seem fine. The brooder is quite large though, and if anything the poults seem like they are afraid of the babies. I have another brooder so if anything seems to be "up" I will move the babies to the other brooder. I wanted to try and get them all together because they will all be together when they go outside.

 

[kasey08]

i had just put my 3 week old with 4 bantams that where one week...they seem to be doing fine...had them in there for a days now. and the larger ones are acting like lil mommys and the bantams are just hiding under them

 

[Penturner]

I have a Serama that is 9 days old today with two bantams that are a couple of days older (twice the size) they get along very well but I always watch the little guy closely. He is a scrapper and gives as good as he gets. no serious behavior of any kind so far. They have been together since the Serama was one day old. I hope to add a few more in about three weeks But not sure any plans I make will ever get carried out. I ordered hatching eggs last Wednesday. they where mailed on Tuesday from San Diego, I am in Reno. they went to New Mexico. So far for one reason or another that makes 34 Serama eggs that have resulted in all of one chick.