Mixing Newborns & 8 week Olds

[cherylcohen]

Unfortunately this first hatch will only produce a small amount of chicks, if any on this Wednesday. So I'm ordering 24 eggs to set on April 26th.

The scenario...
If some hatch from this batch, by the time the 2nd batch hatches they will be 8 weeks apart. I only have 2 coops (one is occupied by my older girls). Can I mix them? The answer is probably no.

So the dilemma is, do I give this first batch away then and wait and hope the 2nd batch produce a bigger hatch rate...just ordered a King suro 20

 

[cherylcohen]

any advice from the experts tonight?

 

[slackwater]

How do you brood the babies? My thought would be that the older chicks would be ready to be mixed with your adult flock by the time the babies are ready to leave the brooder.

 

[cherylcohen]

I have a brooder box (this is my first time) see below...so yes the 8 week old will be ready to go outside and into the teenager area on May 19th but I don't think I should mix the 8 week olds with the then 1 1/2 year olds...should I?

ok here is the promised timeline.....

First batch - 8 weeks at may 19 - out to the teenager coop

2nd batch hatches may 19 - at 6 weeks it will be warm so I can put them in teenager coop

the first batch will be 13 weeks then.SO THE QUESTION IS, CAN I COMBINE THE 13 WEEK OLDS WITH THE 1 1/2 YEAR OLDS.... ARGH sounds like a blood bath brewing!

 

[BoerneChickens]

I will have the same problem - but no fully grown hens - this is my first time with chickens and four came two weeks ago and 3 more come in May. I'm wondering how big the new babies have to be before they can go out with the older kids?

maybe a "bump" will get some more feedback?

 

[cherylcohen]

thanks I think I can deal with it, but introducing any new chickens with others is such a big deal, I don't look forward to it

 

[Nava]

i had some born in 2-23-10 and others in 3-08-10 and they were all under the heat lamp and they did just fine.I have almost the same kind of broder that DH built.

sorry i tought you said 8 day olds. But 8 week is a lil to old i'll say

 

[mboreham1]

13 weeks and fully grown will be fine, you will have to watch and accept there will be pecking as in sorting the pecking order but as long as there is space for the young ones to escape they will be great!

I have a bantam mille fleur, she is picked on by the bigger RIR's almost constantly, she has learned to evade them! 13 week old standard will surely be bigger than my small mille fleur and they will learn!