Mixing chicks?

[lacychick]

Does anyone know if day old chicks can be put with 2 week old chicks?, I have 4 eggs die to hatch on Friday and a nursery has hatch 4 chicks that need rehoming this Friday, they will be 2 weeks old. Will the older chicks hurt the younger chicks?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I have put two weeks olds in with day olds and everything was fine.

I tried with three week olds and they were like bowling balls (3 week olds) in with some bowling pins (day olds) and had to get them out of there.

 

[lacychick]

Thank you for your response, this helps lots

 

[subhanalah]

It depends a lot on the breed too. I had some 3 week Olds that were having nothing to do with the new chick's and would bite/chase them. But I've also had them take to the babies no problem at 4 and 5 weeks old (with day olds, the older ones were two silkies and a brahma)

 

[lacychick]

I don't know what these two week olds are, someone asked if I could rehome 6 hens, I asked her if she was sure they were hens and she got back to me and said they were so I got them a home and was waiting for details to pick them up, then she messaged me yesterday and said they were 4 2 week old chicks, I don't know the breed they have been hatched at a children's nursery, it's probably fruitless asking due to previous info, mine if they hatch are Polish chicks but I only have one brooder

 

[subhanalah]

If they are hens, they will live outside in the coop while the youngsters are being brooded inside.

 

[lacychick]

They are not hens, sorry that's what I was trying to say, the woman that was trying to help rehome these 2 week old chicks initially gave me the wrong information , she said it was 6 hens but she came back to me yesterday and said sorry they are 4 2 week old chicks

 

[subhanalah]

And how old are the chickens you are trying to integrate them with?

 

[lacychick]

I have eggs due to hatch tomorrow so they will be new chicks as the nursery wants the two week old chicks collected tomorrow but I only have one brooder

 

[subhanalah]

Oh, I see. The biggest problem you will have is if the older chick's are carrying something it could make the little ones sick as well.
It just depends on how much you trust this source for clean and healthy birds.