Mixing week-old with day-old chicks

[bluemoonluck]

Ok, so I have a hole in my head

A friend of mine offered to hatch some chicks out for me a while back - his friend has an incubator and was getting ready to do a batch of his own. But then my friend told me a few weeks back that it looked like all of his eggs were duds...so I ordered my chicks from McMurray instead.

Well the friend called me Thursday to tell me that his eggs weren't duds after all. Out of 15 or so eggs, 9 of them hatched! So he had 9 mixed breed chicks for me (dad is an EE, mothers are probably RIR, Barred somethings, EE, buff orth-somethings

...and I don't remember what else).

He was going to raise them to 4 weeks for me, and I went down there today to look at the chicks. He had them in a kiddie pool - on newspaper - in an under-the-stairs storage room with no air circulation

Several of the chicks had pasty butts, other than that they looked okay. But I told him I would just bring them home and put them in with my other chicks, which I did.

So..... now I have 29 chicks who are just over a week old in the same brooder as 9 chicks who are 3 days old. I don't have another space to raise them separately, and I don't have another heat lamp/etc.

Are the 9 younger chicks doomed?? I checked on them about 45 minutes after putting them in the brooder, and they seemed okay.

 

[dbcooper02]

I'd say it will have a lot to do with the size of your brooder setup. I run mixed ages together all the time in a large (8 foot diameter) brooder with an old floor hover brooder. They seem to all get along pretty well. I like to have temps available in the space to suit the youngest while the older ones have enough room to move around and find the temps suitable for them. Here's a pix of my setup from a couple of years back.

 

[bluemoonluck]

My brooder right now is set up in a 4 foot by 4 foot ex-pen, with cardboard up the sides. One day this week I'm going to be expanding it significantly.

Is is possible for a brooder area be too big?? I've got 38 chicks total in there, and they're going to need a lot of room when they start to get bigger. I'd rather do one expansion than a series of little adjustments to the size of their brooder.......

 

[cafarmgirl]

Just keep an eye on them, they'll probably be fine but I would definately make more room for that many chicks. I mixed different ages together when I raised chicks this spring but I only had 8 chicks in a 4 x 3 foot brooder.

 

[eastbaychicks]

So I've been looking all over for a place to ask this question... I have two different ages of chickens 6 months and ages 9-14 weeks old. When can I intermix the two. I have them side by side right now during the day and I've tried to have them meet but the older more dominate hen pecks away at the poor baby. So what do I do?

 

[newchicksnducks]

Quote:
You may want to do your own post on this question. From what I've read, it's probably best to add them when the youngest is no longer peeping, then try to integrate at night. Mine were integrated earlier, but I had groups (3 now 16 weeks, 7 at 11 weeks, 5 at 8 weeks) It seems to work better if they have their own group to hang out with and protect each other. I've luckily had very little issue, some posturing by the older ones (chests thrust out, stomping in front of them, etc.) No injuries, minor pecking when a little one tries to eat the fresh vegetables from the main pile before the older ones have a chance. I spread treats out throughout the pen, have 2 feeders in the coop. Good luck!

 

[<3<3 I <3 Chickens <3<3]

LISTEN TO ME if you want them to become friends, here is an old farmers trick witch can be used for if you save a baby bird as well. OK here we go

1) get some Baking Soada
2) rub it on ALL of the birds
3) They will become one heard


THIS REALLY WORKS!!!!!!!!!!

 

[<3<3 I <3 Chickens <3<3]

Quote:
No.
Read my 1st poast!!!

It will help!!!

 

[Germaine_11.20]

Can we just sprinkle it on them or must it be rubbed in?
I have over 25 LF RIR's and they do not like to be picked up. And about 25 young chicks too, they are much friendlier but how to seperate let alone catch all of them will be an issue.

 

[JessHall]

Quote:
This worked for me as well. Many of my birds are within weeks of each other. They are now in a coop all together. Their ages range from 10 weeks to 5 weeks. Everyone eats drinks roosts and gets along really well. (Knock on wood) Anyway, space is key. Good luck and have fun!