Was this a good trade??

[Trapper Brian]

I have an update on the 9 out of 12 rooster situation..

I called the place where I bought the chickens and told her about my poor average. She told me to bring them back and she would trade me for some new chicks. What a nice lady. In return for 8 of my 5 week old roosters, she gave me 16 week and a half old chicks. Does that seem about right?

Also, when the new chicks reach 2 weeks I plan on putting them in the same coup with the 3 hens and rooster that I kept (they will be 6 weeks old). I'll be putting an escape area for the little ones
but I think they will be alright because my coup is plenty roomy enough.

Brian

 

[MissPrissy]

It is not a good idea to mix small chicks with a mature hen and rooster when the chicks were not brooded there. You need to wait until the chicks are at least closer to the size of the mature chickens. They will not be able to defend themselves against the attacks that will come. Your chicks are not old enough to know there is an escape route. They can be bullied, starved and killed by the hen and roo. New chicks shouldn't be introduced to full grown chickens until around 16 weeks of age.

At 2 weeks those chicks still need a brooder and a heat lamp. They were not raised in the elements by a hen and there for need the support you provide. The do not have the feathering to keep themselves warm or to regulate their own body temps. They won't be feathered out until 8 - 10 weeks and even then some breeds need 12 weeks to get mature feathering to protect them from the element. Once a chick gets chilled it is very hard for it to recover. They often become sick and die.

I urge you to rethink your plan. Keep the chicks in a heat brooder until they are feathering out. They should be outside a while on warm days but inside with a heat source at night. Do not mix them with the adult chickens at this age unless you are willing to risk the outcome and possibly loss of the chicks.

 

[SoccerMomof7]

I have 3 chicks that are 3 weeks old and 3 that are not even a week old, about how long before they are close enough in size to put them together?

 

[MissPrissy]

Soccermom, put the babies together as soon as you can.