Moving chicks from a mixed age brooder batch into the coop

skyhunt2016

In the Brooder
Mar 24, 2016
16
1
31
Hi, all,

I got all my chicks at TSC and some are two weeks old today (GSL, Cuckoo Marans, one bantam Cochin) vs some that are probably 4 weeks based on their feathers (4 Frizzle bantam Cochins, one Welsummer or Phoenix or something that looked like a chipmunk). I am basing the age of 4 weeks on this: wings fully feathered, shoulders coming in, breasts about 1/2 feathers, tails coming along nicely. Everyone gets along fine, no pecking, etc., and I guess that's from no one "owning" the brooder when I got them, since some people say they have problems with mixed age chicks, from my readings on this board.

My question is: since they have been integrated in the brooder since day 1, what will happen if I take the older chicks out to the coop to live before the younger chicks? Will they lose their flock bond from the brooder? If so, I would then have to reintroduce the younger chicks when they move out.

Can anyone give me some advice, please? Thanks in advance!
 
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Yes, I thought about that for the brooder, although not the coop. The heat lamp thing just scares me so much! They'll all be at least 4 weeks when I need to move them to somewhere else because we're having guests in the room they're in. I can move them elsewhere in the house, but it would be better if they were outside. And they will be confined to the coop for a week anyway, so maybe that's a great idea!

Wow, thanks for making me think about this. I think that will work.
 
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