When/how to introduce younger chicks to older chicks

[PiperSky]

Hey all, first time poster and first time chicken owner! We have 10 6 week-old chicks and now another 7 4 week-old chicks- when and how should introductions be done? We’re learning a lot all at once, and all the information on introducing new chicks is in reference to an older flock with adult birds- are these guys close enough in age to integrate well? Thanks all!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Where are the chicks currently housed? As they're all close in age you likely can just put them together somewhere that's spacious enough (coop or run or both) and supervise for potential issues, as young birds have a less rigid pecking order to deal with.

 

[Mrs. K]

A lot depends on the size of your brooder. Space and how the space is set up is crucial to chicken behavior.

How much space do you have? Pictures really help us help you. Thing is you have almost doubled your flock. What was enough space for tiny chicks will rapidly become not enough space for growing birds, and the more chicks you add the faster that happens.

If you are ready to move the flock out to a coop/run. I would try it, and try it soon. See what happens. Interfere if necessary. Putting them together in a strange place generally helps. The new space should have a lot of clutter, things to get under, things to get on top of, little walls where a bird can step out of sight.

There should be multiple feed bowls - set up so that while eating at one, a bird can't see a bird eating at another. I would have 4-5 bowls set up. Keeps it harder to defend.

You might get a mean older chick, that is very aggressive (might be a rooster) pull that bird if the rest of them are getting along. Put him/her back in the brooder for a few days, so the rest of the group can figure things out.

Mrs K

 

[Ridgerunner]

What do your facilities look like? Mainly size? How much room do you have during the day and at night? Can they see each other where they are now? It's easier to give specific suggestions if we know what you are working with.

It is possible you could put them together and they merge into one flock, no issues at all. You may be able to put them together and they stay in two separate flocks with the young avoiding the older but with no violence or problems. It is possible one or some of the older will attack the younger. I can't tell you what will happen, you do not get guarantees with animals and their behaviors. But if we know what you are working with we can tell you how we'd try it.

 

[PiperSky]

The littles are in a brooder in our house currently, the older chicks are feathered out and in a small transition coop outside. No interactions yet!

 

[Ridgerunner]

What do your facilities look like? Mainly size? How much room do you have during the day and at night?

"Small transition coop" worries me. You have a total of 17 chicks. They will need room. If they want to stay separated into their own groups they will need a lot more room.

 

[PiperSky]

We have two coops, I’ll move them to the larger one when they’re ready for it. We’re going to have 3 extra roosters that I’ll separate off when they’re older, and the large coop comfortably fits 14, so it should be just right. During the day they’ll free range, but right now they’re too little so we supervise but the 10 spend most of the time in their smaller coop

 

[Ridgerunner]

What do your facilities look like? Mainly size? How much room do you have during the day and at night?

Sorry for not being clear. How big, in feet or meters, are those two coops? How big, in feet or meters, is the outside area if you have a run? How much room do you have. Is the smaller coop mobile where it could be moved outside?

the large coop comfortably fits 14

This worries me. Many prefab coops advertise a capacity but that is based on commercial operations where they manage their chickens differently than we do. For example, they often clip off part of the chicks upper beak to stop them from eating each other when they are packed in tight.

I'm trying to find out what you are working with so I can give legitimate advice.