When do chicks start to get aggressive with newcomers?

[elissarules]

I have chicks from 7-9 weeks and one of my speckled sussex pullets passed away recently. I found a guy about an hour away selling chicks that are 7 weeks. He doesn’t want to sell me just one, which I understand, but I have 14 chicks at home and 9 older hens and 3 ducks. My fiancé and mother have cut me off lol.

Long story short, he refuses to go any lower than 3 because he’s worried that the chicks will not survive with the other birds because they will be strangers. Is this true? When does this chicken flock mentality truly strike?

Thank you everyone

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I had found younger birds to be viscous to newcomers. After about 2 weeks of age it can be hard to add any to a batch. They will often get harassed and will remain separately from the group until they are much older. It sometimes works without problems, but generally it's not a good idea unless you are committed to take it slow, and are willing to mess with them, and play musical chickens.

 

[elissarules]

I had found younger birds to be viscous to newcomers. After about 2 weeks of age it can be hard to add any to a batch. They will often get harassed and will remain separately from the group until they are much older. It sometimes works without problems, but generally it's not a good idea unless you are committed to take it slow, and are willing to mess with them, and play musical chickens.

Oh geez. Then I understand taking it slow would mean getting 3, since I wouldn’t want the sweet little one to be all by her lonesome.

What would you recommend to do? I want a little speckled sussex so much! But isolating a single bird would be cruel. I don’t have room for much more than one. Should I just give up?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I personally would never add one chick past the 2 week mark. Others have been successful, but it can set a bird up for a life of isolation as they bond to flockmates within those first weeks.

I personally would put it on my wish list for when I can get more. There's always gonna be another chicken breed you will want. It doesn't stop with one generally.

 

[elissarules]

I personally would never add one chick past the 2 week mark. Others have been successful, but it can set a bird up for a live of isolation as they bond to flockmates within those first weeks.

I personally would put it on my wish list for when I can get more. There's always gonna be another chicken breed you will want. It doesn't stop with one generally.

Okay thank you sooo much!!! Thank you for being kind as well I’m a general newbie with this sort of stuff. Best to you!!!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

No problem. You gotta have something to look forward to next year anyways. I have already started that list and this year's batch is just 3 weeks. Chickens is an addiction.

 

[centrarchid]

I see different treatment of strangers within a day of hatch and by 2 weeks there is the potential for aggression. By 4 weeks things can get decidedly more complicated. Yet I can still combine groups minimizing the discord by a range of techniques. If everyone is the same size, then groups are combined in a location neither considers to be home turf. If groups differ markedly in size, then I add a single high ranking large chick to smaller chicks where they larger chick is not on its home turf. Then I let big one and the little ones stay together for a day to bond as well as for the bigger chick to have bond weaken or break with the other larger chicks. Then I add another larger chick where the previous big one kicks its butt when it becomes aggressive. I can often add balance of larger chicks on third day.