Mixing Different Age Chicks in Brooder

[wicked92]

We have five 6 week old chickens. One rooster and 4 hens. We also have three silkies who are 4 weeks old. The older chickens are in the coop and tractor living outside and loving it. The silkies are still in the baby pool basically rolling their eyes at the 9 baby chicks that my son gave to us. The silkies want out bad. They have been out with the older ones and the only naughty behavior I have seen is one or two of the older chickens peck the silkies (but the olders also do it to each other). Compared in size the silkies are still small to the olders but don't back down. What should I do? I really wanna get the silkies out of the pool.

 

[kimthom66]

I just picked up 3, week old chicks, and will be adding 3 -5 new chicks in 3 weeks. So these chicks will be 4 weeks old? Can I add them together or would you suggest separating them? I have a fairly large brooder so I think I can create two sides separated by wire so they can see each other but can't hurt each other? Any other suggestions?

 

[DreamsInPink]

I see this thread has been revived.. I found it through a google search. (I've been doing that more, so I don't bug every one here)

Anyway, I have 4 chicks who are almost a week old. The same day I bought them, I got 1 silkie at a different place. I'm not sure how old the silkie is... not very old.. It's about the same size as the other 4.

Well, my daughter is giving me 4 more silkies tonight. They are the same age as my silkie. Will it be ok to put my 4 new silkies in with the other 5? Are they still young enough that it won't cause an issue?

 

[NC Chicks]

It seems this is the place to try to get answers on integrating chicks. I have 10 5.5 weeks old, 4 4.5 weeks old, and 4 3.5 weeks old. Currently they are in two brooders....all the 10 weeks old in one and the rest in another. I'd like to move them all to the coop together. My coop is new,64sqft, with auto door opener to fenced yard. I was thinking that since it would be new to everyone they might possibly get along. I'm not currently seeing an established pecking order.
I really need some insight on this, the dust they kick up in my house is starting to effect my respiratory system, and I need them outside, but don't want to impose war amongst them.
HELP!

 

[henvy]

I just integrated my 3 day old chicks with the 10 day old chicks and it was totally fine.

I got 3 new chicks to replace the 3 that didn't make it in the first batch, but I had to wait a week, so I was a bit nervous. I read posts here on the forum that said it would be just fine, but then the girl at the feed store spooked me a bit with her strong recommendation to keep them separated "until they were the same size" (but that won't be until adulthood, right?). So I separated them for about a day, but my instinct was to integrate them sooner than later and here is what I did to ease the integration:

I put both groups (10 day olds and the 3 day olds) into clear plastic bins (shavings on the bottom, so they wouldn't slip) - separating each group, but I put the bins next to each other so they could see one another. Then I rearranged the big brooder that they would all be sharing, added the litter (dry and mostly clean) from the new chicks brooder to the shared brooder, an extra water source and feeder (I'm using nipple water system with 6 nipples and everyone loves it). Once the shared brooder was ready, i put the new chicks in first, let them investigate, eat, drink, find the heat (took about 15 minutes), then I added the older kids (10 day olds) and observed.

It was all fine. No pecking, no aggression - they were all looking around at what seemed to be 'new digs' for everyone. They've been together for 24 hours now and they're great. They all cuddled together last night and some seem to be buddying up. Phew!

 

[AnnaK13]

I'm trying to get a couple silkies to add to three of my current chicks that are two weeks old. If I get the age as close as I can, will the newcomers still cause drama? Like, you have to be initiated to be part of the group or something?

 

[NC Chicks]

It seems to be a pretty common concern. I took the leap when I moved the flock into the coop. I put the two oldest groups of chicks loose in the coop, but kept the youngest separate in a dog crate. An odd thing happened. The middle group of four, which had been in the brooder with the younger group, hung out around the crate and did not mix with the older chicks!
After three days together like this I opened the coop door to the yard. Again the oldest ten were eager to explore, but the middle group stayed in the coop with the young ones.
Yesterday, when i opened the coop door to the run, I also opened the door to the crate. What happened, the middle group went in the crate! These birds are not segrating themselves by breed but by who they spent their time in the brooder with. Today I was able to coax them out of the coop into the run, but they still separated themselves into two groups. They all seem to get on ok at this point so maybe the pecking order is established. My flock has 6 different breeds, 4 breeds in the oldest ten, and Americans and Wyandottes in the younger group. The Marans and Sex links seem to vie for top bird, the orpingtons could care less, and the welsummers chime in on occasion.
It's been amazing to watch so far. I'm glad to have them!

 

[ChickieChickAv]

Hey all! So glad to find this thread, I had just received by first batch of day old chicks last week, 7/26 (so they're a week old already) I already have a flock of 6 hens outside in my backyard coup. The chicks are inside the house in an unused room living in a playpen that I converted into a brooder (picture below). I have another order of day old chicks coming on 8/16. I don't have another brooder. I figured I could put together a temporary makeshift one out of a plastic storage bin until they've gained some strength and pep and then join them with the 3 week olds until they're big enough to move into the shed that I'll be converting into a barn (may turn in into a whole indoor chicken coup/ barn for the super cold months here in jersey). I've been nervous about how I'm going to manage with combining them all and when I should, it is nice and hot out lately so I'm not worried about the shed being too cold when they're a bit bigger.. I'll just have to make some adjustments out there so make it chick approved lol. Then, I have to worry about when the time comes to introduce them to the big girls since the big girls will be outnumbered by double once they all get acclimated. I'll be going from a flock of 6 to 18! I'm quite new to this. I only kind of recently got the 6 adult hens in April when I acquired them with the house we bought. I was excited about the idea of keeping the chickens so we went for it, now I think I've gone a bit crazy! I'll take any advice I can get! Would a plastic storage tub be sufficient to hold 7 new baby chicks for the first week or so? (If all goes well to add them with the bigger kids..)

 

[Ainee]

Hey all! So glad to find this thread, I had just received by first batch of day old chicks last week, 7/26 (so they're a week old already) I already have a flock of 6 hens outside in my backyard coup. The chicks are inside the house in an unused room living in a playpen that I converted into a brooder (picture below). I have another order of day old chicks coming on 8/16. I don't have another brooder. I figured I could put together a temporary makeshift one out of a plastic storage bin until they've gained some strength and pep and then join them with the 3 week olds until they're big enough to move into the shed that I'll be converting into a barn (may turn in into a whole indoor chicken coup/ barn for the super cold months here in jersey). I've been nervous about how I'm going to manage with combining them all and when I should, it is nice and hot out lately so I'm not worried about the shed being too cold when they're a bit bigger.. I'll just have to make some adjustments out there so make it chick approved lol. Then, I have to worry about when the time comes to introduce them to the big girls since the big girls will be outnumbered by double once they all get acclimated. I'll be going from a flock of 6 to 18! I'm quite new to this. I only kind of recently got the 6 adult hens in April when I acquired them with the house we bought. I was excited about the idea of keeping the chickens so we went for it, now I think I've gone a bit crazy! I'll take any advice I can get! Would a plastic storage tub be sufficient to hold 7 new baby chicks for the first week or so? (If all goes well to add them with the bigger kids..)

How did your integration go? Any advice? I have six 2 week olds now, and considering adding two 3 week olds..

 

[ChickieChickAv]

Hey Ainee, sorry my reply is so delayed! I haven't yet integrated them because they are just 8 weeks and still too small to fend for themselves if they had to towards the big girls. What I ended up doing is setting them up in my little barn and put a small fence around it so when I let them all out to free range in the yard, they can see and be near eachother without getting hurt. So far the girls don't really seem interested in them. At first they were just sort of looking at them, my more dominant girls were puffing up their feathers as if to say "I'm the boss around here" but then left them alone. I think in only a few more weeks I'll start letting them roam loose with the adults. I just want to make sure they are large enough to fend for themselves. I have introduced one adult hen to my flock (a small black polish hen) who obviously stands out with that big white crest lol. She's a pretty dominant bird and seemed like she just made herself at home in the flock. Seems as though my girls are pretty accepting so I hope it'll go well, the only thing I have that in nervous about is the one rooster he will be very large when grown up, he's a white Cochin roo (this will be my first rooster.. I wanted to have a little extra protection for my girls in the winter. I hope it goes well) I'm learning as I go but as for advice, I'd say to keep them separate but in view of eachother until they are big enough in case of a little scuffle

Here's the babies taking their first dust baths!