When to introduce baby chics to the 8 week older chicks?

[crayon]

I took one chick out to the see the 9 other chicks yesterday- and they pecked her. Not mean- but I think they were very confused and not sure if she was a bug or what she was. I have found that chickens are not highly intelligent animals, but I would think they would know their own kind- but maybe I am wrong.

How to I integrate the 10 baby pullets to the 7 older pullets and 2 older cockerels?

 

[alicefelldown]

I wouldn't.

Chicks, at least mine, eat different feed than the 6 week + birds. Similarly, the 6 week + olds eat different feed from the 6 month + groups.

The only way around that, would be to feed everyone flock raiser type feed and supplement your layers - which is cost prohibitive in my area.

Other than feed - if the chicks still need a heat lamp (and maybe they don't, with the massive heat wave) I wouldn't house them with older chicks who do not.

 

[crayon]

They are under the heat lamp still- but they are only 6-7 weeks younger than my first flock. I am wondering at what point I mix them- because they will have to be housed together at some point in the next 4-6 weeks.

 

[ALRwild]

Put them in with the older chickens when the younger chickens begin to eat laying feed (not chick starter or pullet developer). There is also a chance that the older hens/roos will never accept the younger ones (this happened to a friend of mine). If that is the case then you may have to keep them in separate coops. I would recommend that you don't even try to put the peepers with the older chickens until they're eating the same food, and the younger chickens are almost fully grown.

If you no question HAVE TO put the together in the next 4-6 weeks, then keep a close eye on them, and feed them at different times of the day(which could be difficult having to switch the food multiple times a day). I would wait to the last possible minute (end of six weeks) to put them together.
Once again, I REALLY REALLY REALLY hope that you don't put them together due to fighting and food differences.

Good luck....I hope this doesn't end badly...

 

[crayon]

Now I am confused- on the food end. My 8 week old are still eating the chick food- the same ones my babies are eating. I was told not to change their food over to layer food until they got to 20 week (about the time they will lay eggs).

Was this wrong advice?

 

[sj3364]

I am in the same situation. I have a batch of chickens that are 17 weeks and one batch that are 7 weeks. At about 4/5 weeks, I started putting my little chicks in the run while the big chickens free range. If you don't free range you can put the little ones in a cage or some other enclosure inside the run where both sets of chickens can see each other through the cage. I also wired off a section of the coop where the little ones sleep.

Many BYCers have recommended not mixing them without a barrier until the younger ones are about the same size as the older ones. Some have also said that the chicks should be making grownup chicken noises instead of the baby peeps.

I am planning on feeding them both Flock Raiser and supplementing the older chicks with oyster shell until the little ones are ready to start laying. Then I will switch to Layer Feed.

Hope this helps.