Mixing chicks???

[TikiRoost6]

I have 6 chicks of different breeds that are about 2.5 weeks old. If I wanted to add some younger ones to my current flock...will they pick on each other?

 

[Chelsa'sChicks]

I have mixed 1 day old RIR chicks with my 2 week EE chicks and added 3 BO chicks also who were 1.5 weeks. They were all fine after the day. Obviously the EE chicks noticed because the brooder was originally theirs, but no issues. Depending on breeding you can mix up to 3 weeks old.

Always watch them. My EEs liked the poor little RIRs red spot on their beak so they pecked a few times. Whenever they did I whistled and they stopped after 3 pecks. No injuries and nothing crazy. Just curious chicks. I also stuck a mirror in with them later which is a great distraction from the new chicks.

 

[CascadiaRiver]

How much younger? If you are talking day olds I would wait until the day olds are older before trying to mix them....

 

[TikiRoost6]

How much younger? If you are talking day olds I would wait until the day olds are older before trying to mix them....

Thank you!! What if the new chicks are about the same age or about a week older?

 

[CascadiaRiver]

Like mixing your two weeks with some 3 weeks? That could be fine, just keep an eye on them to watch for bullying and stepping on the smaller ones or things like that. Try reading up on some of our threads here on integrating chicks together for some more tips to prevent fighting and such

 

[TikiRoost6]

Like mixing your two weeks with some 3 weeks? That could be fine, just keep an eye on them to watch for bullying and stepping on the smaller ones or things like that. Try reading up on some of our threads here on integrating chicks together for some more tips to prevent fighting and such

Thank you. I'm worried we might have 2 cockerels & my husband doesn't want any roosters so I was looking to add to my flock if we have to re-home a couple. Or just add to my flock anyway...

 

[CascadiaRiver]

If you post some pictures here we could try and help you identify if you do indeed have some roosters

 

[TikiRoost6]

If you post some pictures here we could try and help you identify if you do indeed have some roosters  

I posted in another thread & a lot of people said they were still too young to tell.

Here's a pic to compare...(I'm worried the one on the left is a too) They're about 3 weeks old.

 

[CascadiaRiver]

They are really really young to say for certain. I can see why you think it could be a roo but I would wait before rehoming

 

[Peeps61]

I've mixed chicks as much as 3 weeks apart, but you have to watch them because the older chicks will peck the day olds on the head from time to time - sometimes, just checking them out, but it's still something the day olds don't like. If it happens too much, you may have to brood them separately for a while, then put them together when you put them outside. Eventually, they will integrate, although they tend to hang with the chicks they were raised with as a subgroup of a larger flock.