When should I add babies to older flock?

[FunWithFowl]

Hello all, hoping someone will have a suggestion for when I should add our babies to our older flock. Here are the details..... We got our older girls on May 10, 2012; so they are about 2 1/2 months old. We have 4 hens and 4 ducks in that group. Our next group which I refer to as our babies are 1 and 2 weeks old. I currently have them in a brooding box in the coop. I am wondering at what age can I introduce the babies to the rest of our girls?
Thanks!

 

[ImpulsiveFarmer]

I would wait a few weeks - maybe 5-6 weeks? I normally go by when they loose their fluff and start to feather out. I had some older chicks in with younger chicks and they were fine until one of the older roosters started killing the younger once, but that was just the one bird - it's really dependent on your birds' personalities. Maybe take the ducks out prior. Ducks tend to make an unholy mess with the water which isn't good for young chicks - they also grow faster than the chicks.

I would do it at night though when they are the most calm, also make sure the younger chicks have a seperate food dish. Keep a close eye on them to make sure the older ones aren't beating up on the younger ones.

 

[FunWithFowl]

I would wait a few weeks - maybe 5-6 weeks? I normally go by when they loose their fluff and start to feather out. I had some older chicks in with younger chicks and they were fine until one of the older roosters started killing the younger once, but that was just the one bird - it's really dependent on your birds' personalities. Maybe take the ducks out prior. Ducks tend to make an unholy mess with the water which isn't good for young chicks - they also grow faster than the chicks.

I would do it at night though when they are the most calm, also make sure the younger chicks have a seperate food dish. Keep a close eye on them to make sure the older ones aren't beating up on the younger ones.

Thank you!