Mixing day-old and three-day-old chicks?

[DianeS]

I know if you're introducing adult chickens to a flock that you need an introduction period to keep them from picking on each other. Does that still apply if you are mixing baby chicks? It must not apply to day-olds since they're shipped in the same container, but can you do it with chicks that were hatched about three days ago and add chicks that were hatched one day ago?

Thanks!

 

[Fierlin1182]

Should be fine. I get my chicks from a feedstore where they are all different ages to begin with, and they seem to have no problems.

 

[gryeyes]

I have mixed chicks together with as much as three weeks' age difference. A week is like nothing... so two days will be just fine.

 

[they'reHISchickens]

I mix them but I make sure the newborns are up and bouncy first. I wouldn't put them in with the 3 days olds right out of the incubator. I'd give them a day to get their feet under them and their brains in eat/drink mode. After that, all is fine.

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

I had a single chick born to one of my broody hens, then three weeks later, another hen hatched three babies. I was worried about having to raise a single chick once her broody mom decided to go back to the adult flock, so the day after the three babies were hatched, I slipped the single three week old chick in with mom and her three one day old babies after dark. I carefully placed the three week old baby under Mom's wing so that she would be warm through the night.


The next day, I watched closely and Mom accepted the three week old chick along with her two day old babies. No problems at all -- everybody blended together into one big step family.


Mom has since gone back to the adult flock (and after a month of being a normal adult, just today, she announced that she's wanting to brood AGAIN!).


Meantime, the four babies are growing up together with no problems whatsoever. The little three are almost two months old, the older girl is well over two months old.


I don't think they realize that they are not of the same hatch.