OK, I Integrated them, now some "After the Fact" questions.

[gardendufus]

I added some just arrived at the feedstore (3 days old?) Welsummer chicks to my brooder with 4 - 3 Week olds (2 Barred Rocks, 2 Black Aussies) today. I sat and watched them for 3 hours, and except for some explorative pecks and a coupla reminders that the babies shouldn't be trying to actually 'hang out' with the teenagers, everything seemed to go well. Actually they each seemed to take their own corner of the brooder, but since the chicks picked the corner with the feeder (they ate for an hour and fifteen minutes, NONSTOP, I swear I timed it), they had lots of mixing time and shared the feeder well.

I had been using a heat lamp, but just got an EcoGlow, so decided to make the switch on that today. I had it on its lowest setting for the babies, but my juveniles (when they decided to bed down) were laying around the edges, so I raised one end so they could get under it if they wanted. Gonna go out in a while and see how that's working.

Since they are all bedded down now, and since I watched them for so long this afternoon, am I probably OK on aggressiveness, or is it likely they will start fussing in the dark. The only experience I have is that I went in one night awhile ago and picked one up in the dark, and none of the others even seemed to notice I was messing with them. Are they 'Dead to the World' after dark?

I assume I should be out in the coop early tomorrow AM in case someone wakes up a little cranky?

 

[groundpecker]

You can put up a small see through barrier for a few days and section the new chicks from the older ones. This will help them "get to know each other" before adding them together. There is also a "stepped on" crushing factor involved when adding day old chicks to any existing flock. The 3 -4 week olds may walk over and harm the young chicks.

Once you get past the first few days, everything should be fine.

 

[gardendufus]

Now on the 3rd day, all seems to be going well. When I walked in Saturday Morning, all the 3 week olds were sleeping in a heap. I sat and watched for awhile, assuming the chicks were under the ecoglow. When my 'preteens' started making waking up noises, was I surprised to see two little brown heads peeking up from under their wings. No harm done, and after watching, it is obvious that the babies have adopted the big (to them) girls as foster mothers and the big girls seem to have taken that role on very well. The babies follow them everywhere they go, and imitate their every move. Too funny. They still have the ecoglow to run for cover, but there have been NO acts of aggression that I have seen.

 

[newfrom NJ]

I am going through something similiar. I had one barred rock ( my favorite ) and one recently purchased Cochin. ( both hens ) Unfortunately the barred rock was killed by a hawk. I got three chicks from a local breeder and the Cochin has adopted them as her own contrary to the reaction I was expecting.

 

[TonySorrento]

on April 6th I will be getting 6 more chicks ... I will be adding them to my other 14 in the brooder, but I was going to seperate them by a wired wall for 1-2 weeks until they got bigger ... I am excited to see that you are having no problem at all!

Keep us posted!

 

[gardendufus]

Tony, Day 4 and its all one big happy family in my brooder. In fact is becoming quite cute watching the babies go up to the juveniles and try to get themselves under their wings. The juveniles put up with it well, but aren't really trying to mother them, just doesnt seem to tick them off at all. The babies follow them everywhere, trying to be one of the group.

 

[TonySorrento]

That is awesome to hear ... I think I will give that a try and see what happens! Now do you plan on putting them all in the coop at the same time? If so, when?