what age can i mix

[txmel]

i'm getting 5 standard cochin in the next couple of days and i have silkies hatching on the 24th would it be ok to combine them in the same brooder after a few days or do i need to separate them some how? or i have some light sussex in the larger brooder in the garage can i put the cochin in there after a week or so?

 

[tobin123]

they will be fine besides that will help keep them warm

 

[Opa]

You should never mix birds of different sizes, the result could be disasterous.

 

[Ridgerunner]

You'll see a lot of different responses to this. People who try it have different results, often disasterous results.

Chickens are natural bullies. The strong pick on the weak. Part of it is the pecking order and part of it seems to be an instinct to weed the weak ones out of the flock. Some of it is physical size but a whole lot of it is the spirit and maturity of the individuals. There is a huge difference in the maturity level of chicks just a week or two apart in age. They will start establishing the pecking order at a very young age. If the older chicks detemine that the younger chicks are weaker, the younger chicks are in tremendous danger. I personally would not risk it.

 

[Mahonri]

My experience is similar to Opa's. I once mixed some chicks that had to have been about two weeks older.

I lost some of my younger ones.

 

[txmel]

ok well i guess that answers that i'll be making another brooder for the silkier chicks then. and maybe separating the large brooder with a fence of some kind to keep the older chicks seperate. keep the cochins that will only be 2 days or so old in the small brooder until the silkie hatch then move then to the fenced off larger brooder with the sussex.
thanks for all the responses

 

[DAFox]

I would not put the Silkies with your LF Cochins but, might think about it if they were bantam cochins. It would depend on the size of the newly hatched Silkies and how many. Also, it depends on the size of the brooder and if there was a way to block an area so the larger sized, older birds couldn't fit. The smaller chicks then could have a safe place.
How many Light Sussex and what age do you have? If only 2 or at most 3 and less rhan two weeks apart in age, again I might think about putting them together if there was a safe-haven for the smaller, younger chicks. You will have to use your best judgement.
I have mixed Silkies together with good results. One 3 week old chick with 5 new hatched. And most recently, 1 small 4 week old chick with 1 new hatched.
I have mixed chicks that were 5 weeks apart in my grow out pen by giving the smaller chicks a safe haven that the bigger chicks couldn't get to.
Dale-Ann

 

[rancher hicks]

Seems to me Silkies are too delicate, though I haven't any. They would be much smaller than standard cochins right? If they were the same breed that might make a difference, right? I once put a new Del w/ old Dels they were only a week apart and it didn't work out.

 

[txmel]

i have 4 light sussex and will be getting 5 cochin standard size that were hatched yesterday. hoping to have at least 6-7 silkies hatching out but will see how many make it to hatch. the brooder in the garage is fairly good size that if i put a fence of hard wire across the center the sussex and cochin should have enough room that way they can see each other but wont be able to get to each other all i need to do now is figure out separate feeders and waterers. i'll grow out the cochins in the house for at least 1-2 weeks before putting them in the brooder in the garage. and if the weather would cooperate i'll get started on the new chicks coop.

so far its been too rainy and muddy and cold (for texas) to build anything. hoping to beable to put the sussex and cochins together eventually. the silkies will have their own coop being that they are so much smaller chickens.