Mixing different aged chicks?

undergroundchickens

Songster
9 Years
Apr 13, 2010
215
0
109
Utah
I have 4 three week old chicks and should be having one or two more hatch out in the next 2 days. Is it ok to mix these two ages or will the older birds pick on the new babies? I wouldn't put them together until the new chicks are several days old. I really would like these two hatches to grow up together so when I take the males out and put the pullets in with the six big girls they will have the number/support of their group behind them to help with integration.

Thanks for your advice in advance.
 
Three weeks is generally considered a max age difference for integrating chicks. However, it will vary greatly depending on breeds and temperaments. I have found that with docile birds, like my Faverolles, I can give up to 6 week old chicks new day old chicks and they will sit on them like mamas.
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However, I cannot do big age gaps with my bantam Ameraucanas...
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Three weeks is about the maximum - I have successfully added 1 week old chicks to a batch of 4 week old chicks. Actually, I had 4 week old chicks, 3 week old chicks, and two week old chicks when I added the 1 week old chicks, so I think everybody was just used to newcomers in the brooder....

I'd go for it, watching them carefully just in case the littlest ones get picked on too much or can't get to food and water.
 

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