Two sets of chicks

[Shaniko1158]

I have two sets of chicks. Seven are 4 weeks old and recently have been introduced to outdoors and have a heated box at night. Three are two weeks old and still indoors. The smallest of the seven seems to be lowest in pecking order and often hangs back. Would it be okay to put her in with the other three chicks?

 

[Chookchicken]

They need to be fully feathered out, and around 6 weeks. As long as she is still managing to get food and water she should be fine.

 

[Shaniko1158]

They need to be fully feathered out, and around 6 weeks. As long as she is still managing to get food and water she should be fine.

Thank you. Do they still need to be fully feathered when in 75-80 weather outside?

 

[NatJ]

I have two sets of chicks. Seven are 4 weeks old and recently have been introduced to outdoors and have a heated box at night. Three are two weeks old and still indoors. The smallest of the seven seems to be lowest in pecking order and often hangs back. Would it be okay to put her in with the other three chicks?

You want to put one older chick back inside with the younger chicks?
That should be fine.
Just watch for a little while, to make sure she doesn't chase them around and pick on them.

And make sure the brooder is large enough that the chicks can get far enough away from the heat. The 4 week old should not need as much warmth as the 2 week olds, but being able to get away from the heat is important for all of them.

 

[ChickenWhisperer101]

Thank you. Do they still need to be fully feathered when in 75-80 weather outside?

Preferably, but my first chicks went outside at 4 weeks and all turned out fine. This was when I had zero experience though. I think the big chick should be fine with the little chicks, just monitor them.

 

[Artichoke Lover]

Thank you. Do they still need to be fully feathered when in 75-80 weather outside?

That is within the temp range for that age.
I would think they would be fine as long as they still have the option to get warm when if drops below that range. As long as they are active, eating and drinking without signs of stress they should be fine. It depends on breed some too since some feather much faster than others.

 

[NatJ]

That is within the temp range for that age.

I agree.
If the temperature is appropriate for their age, it does not matter whether it is indoors or outside.

Exception: wind or rain can chill the chicks, even at temperatures that would otherwise be fine. But a good coop will already be providing protection from bad weather, so this is not usually a problem.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I have two sets of chicks. Seven are 4 weeks old and recently have been introduced to outdoors and have a heated box at night. Three are two weeks old and still indoors. The smallest of the seven seems to be lowest in pecking order and often hangs back. Would it be okay to put her in with the other three chicks?

Personally I would not. My goal with integration is that no one gets hurt. As long as that chick is not being hurt and it is doing OK where it is I don't see any benefit in putting it with the three young ones. Sometimes the lowest in the pecking order can be the most brutal to younger ones if it gets a chance. If things are going OK don't fix it. You might break it.

I don't know what behaviors you are seeing. You may see something that looks threatening to you where putting that chick with the young ones is the right call. You are looking at them, trust your judgement.

Thank you. Do they still need to be fully feathered when in 75-80 weather outside?

Not at four weeks of age. Many are actually fully feathered at 4 weeks. Certainly by 5 weeks.

I brood outside. One ridiculously hot summer I turned the daytime heat off at 2 days and the nighttime heat off at 5 days. I should have done it earlier. Their body language said they did not need it and they did not. I don't remember the nighttime lows but the daytime temps were around 115 F. You need to react to your conditions.

A couple of times I've had a broody hen wean her chicks at 3 weeks of age in temperatures close to what you are seeing. Those chicks were left totally on their own to make their way with the flock and handle staying warm on their own. They did. I don't know what kind of nighttime temperatures yours are seeing but you have heat available for them if they need it. My three week old chicks did not.

It is a long story but one time I saw a chick get separated from a broody hen when it was under one week old. The daytime temperatures were probably around 80 F, not any higher. That chick spent all day by itself, did not get back with the broody hen until pretty late that day. It complained a lot during the day because it was by itself but it wasn't hurt.

When you trust your broody hens to take care of their chicks you learn a lot about how tough those chicks can be. I'm not a broody hen so when I brood them myself I've more careful. I would not turn 3 week old chicks loose to make their way with the flock. I would not leave a 1 week old chick away from heat in those temperatures. But I'm not a slave to some of the numbers I see on here either. You can learn a lot by observing your chickens.