Mixing week old hatchery chicks with my own hatched chicks

[RobandSue2]

Is it wise to mix newly hatched chicks with chicks i received from a hatchery that are 1 week old now?

 

[RobandSue2]

Is it wise to mix newly hatched chicks with chicks i received from a hatchery that are 1 week old now?

Follow-up...
I hatched my own chicks and want to put them in the same brooder as the chicks I received from a breeder/hatchery. Is biosecurity going to be an issue?

 

[Phaedra Winters]

If your chicks were vaccinated at the hatchery, I'd say no. Either way, I'd say better to introduce them now. If you add them to existing flock when older and they did have diseases, it'd still be the same issue, so might as well just do it now, IMO.

 

[Phaedra Winters]

If your chicks were vaccinated at the hatchery, I'd say no. Either way, I'd say better to introduce them now. If you add them to existing flock when older and they did have diseases, it'd still be the same issue, so might as well just do it now, IMO.

I want to clarify that I mean no as in it should not be an issue, my bad.

 

[Joeschooks]

You should be fine if they are just one week different in age. From a biosecurity point of view I’ve not had any issues myself mixing my own chicks with other chicks from a breeder.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Young chicks are generally not a biosecurity concern especially from a hatchery, so I would mix them. Makes for a far easier integration with one other as they'll grow up as a subflock. Just keep an eye on the younger ones to make sure they're not getting pushed around by the older ones.

 

[aart]

@RobandSue2 so how'd it go?
I have mixed different aged chicks with great success, and utter failure.
Best to have your brooder split with a wire wall the can see thru but not get thru.

 

[Compost King]

I time my hatches to coordinate with my chick shipments so I can have them all in the same brooder. I have also mixed in chicks hatched as far as a week apart with great results. Then there was that time I had to put a put a broody hens chicks into an brooder after mama bird died and that lead to problems right off the bat. They were only about 5 days apart. It can be hit or miss.