When can I put my chicks together?

[tara7815]

I have 5 RIR and an EE that were hatched on 9/8 that are in a brooder together.

this morning I picked up 7 packing peanuts and 7 White porcelain d'uccle bantams they hatched on 9/15.

These guys are going to eventually all be in the same coop and run together. (the hens definately and the roosters until they are old enough to sell <or eat>). When can I put them together in a larger brooder?

 

[joedie]

I'd put them together now. I raised 3 groups that were each a week apart in age and put them all together and they did great. I think any more than 2 weeks apart in age might be stretching it but yours should do fine.

 

[Nyrial]

I put mine together when I had 5-3 week olds, and 15 5 day olds.

Everyone was/is fine.

I'm a new chicken owner to though, so maybe I did it wrong.

I held a chick meet-n-greet several times before I put them together, and watched for anyone acting idiotic. Everyone was cool though. I *DID* and still do have issues with introducing them to new chicks when they were older (6 weeks and 8 weeks) though.

I guess if you can keep one end of the brooder warm enough for the little ones, and one end cooler for the big ones, and you're sure (absolutely positive) no one is sick. I would think the biggest threat would be if one set had something the others didn't and spread it to the other set.

 

[easttxchick]

I also put 2 young groups together and had no problem. Initially they pecked each others feet and pulled a feather or two, but nothing serious. They are all big buddies now.

 

[tara7815]

I have 2 small rubber made tote brooders and my plan was to join them together to create one large one.
I plan to keep the light on one end of it and have a passageway to get from one to the other.
Do you think I need 2 lights or just the one light should be enough?

I'm thinking just the one will be good - but you guys are the experts

Here are my two totes.

 

[joedie]

You have a total of 19 right? Might be a little small in just a short time. How long do you plan on keeping them in there before moving them?

 

[tara7815]

16 total birds
Not sure how long - obviously the minute it looks crowded my husband and I will build something bigger - I keep watching all the brooder photos for more ideas.

When can they go outside if they are in the coop only (not outside) and the coop/house is heated?

I'm in CT

 

[joedie]

Do you have any others in the coop now? Older girls? If not, I'd put them in there now as long as they have a heat lamp they can get under if they're cold as long as you can maintain the proper temp needed for ages. I moved my babies this spring into the coop at about 2 weeks in a seperate pen to keep them apart from ther older ones and kept the heat lamp on until they were completely feather out. I think the temps are pretty comparable from CT to IN. (Grew up in MA)

 

[hinkjc]

You say you picked up the ones hatched on 9/15? I'm assuming that means they are from another farm/flock. If so, quarantine is a minimum of 30 days to ensure the health of those new birds.

 

[tara7815]

They have 1 week difference in age and they came from the same hatchery. I picked one grouping up on Sunday - they were shipped to our local fair as an exhibit and I took them from there. The others were shipped to me directly and I got them this morning.
I put them together already - My husband is building the coop this weekend and it will be heated. There are no other birds in there at all - it will just be these 2 groups.