When can i mix my DAY olds with my 5 week olds?

[chicky gal1]

I have 6 chics now (they will be 5 weeks old when my new flock arrives) . I am expecting a dozen more soon. When is a good time to mix the two groups? they are all females

 

[willowcol]

I wouldn't put them together until the younger ones can defend themselves. I tried to put some 1 week olds in with a few 5 week olds and they pecked thier heads bloody within a hour. I quickly had to seperate them until they were all starting to feather out.

 

[debilorrah]

They need to be closer to the same size when you put them together, so no one is injured....

 

[chicky gal1]

THanks! that is kind of what i was thinking too... hopefully, it will be a smooth transition!

 

[amarook]

I'm in the same boat. I have 8 RIRs, that are 5 weeks old, and some wee little BOs.

Right now I have them in them in the same brooder but with fence between them, so they get used to seeing each other.

 

[cmom]

From another post.

I agree with the other post. Here is my story on my experiences putting my pullets with my hens. First I let them all out in the yard together when the pullets were about 12 weeks old and the hens were about 1 1/2 yrs old. I put lots of scratch out for them. It didn't go to well. The hens chased and picked on the pullets terrible so I separated them. They had been in different coops and adjacent runs for over a month prior to the first time I tried to put them together. When I put them together the last time when the pullets were about 20 weeks, I had two hens that were terrible and jumping on the pullets and pulling their feathers out. I took the two most aggressive hens out and separated them from the rest. They were put into a separate pen for a week where all the rest of the chickens could walk around them see them but couldn't touch. When I did let them out, I put plenty of treats and scratch out hopefully to distract them. It worked for the most part, but for one of the hens. She was still very aggressive. When I saw her jump on one of the pullets I sprayed her with water from a hose that is next to the coop. She went running into the coop and didn't come out for awhile. I have repeated the hose caper a few times. She has calmed down since then. When the pullets were about 20 weeks old I switched coops and put the pullets in the hens house and the hens in the pullets coop and closed the runs so they couldn't interact but could still see each other. After another week went by I put them back together. It went fairly well. One of my goals was to try to get everyone to lay their eggs in the same coop and nest boxes. Now they all stay in the same coop. There was a little bickering in the beginning at roosting time but all is well now and they have worked out their pecking order. There are pictures on my BYC Page.

 

[kycklingmamma]

I too have 5 week olds and a few that are only 2 weeks old. I have them in the same brooder but with a babygate between them to separate them. I did try last week to have them without the gate and it took one of my California White chicks (5 wks) all of a few moments to peck until it bleed on one of the 2 week olds. No more blood until they are older and wiser, and yeah closer to the same size..

kycklingmamma

 

[chicky gal1]

oh man! i wish i was patient enogh to wait and get them all at the same time!

 

[txchickie]

I have this problem. I have my full growns claiming their coop----

7 week olds in a makeshift coop thing in the backyard---
4 and 3 weekers in a brooder in the garage---
and now day olds back in my sunroom

I'm gonna be screwed here in about 2 weeks LOL They just keep growing and growing!

 

[conny63malies]

I put my lonely serama in my my dutch bantam when the serama was three weeks and the dutch were six weeks old. It has been two nights now and no injuries or other problems. THough the dutch thought that the serama is a bit annoying with his peeping.