Wwyd

[Carenm]

Our chicks are just 4 weeks old and a friend who raises chickens offered us a few more, which I am going to do, of course

Do we get new babies ( Barred Rock) or Barred Rock's the same age as our chicks that we have now ( Red Stars)

Babies or not?

Of course i love new babies but at the same time I am excited our 4 week olds are almost ready to move out and I can claim my house back. Do I want to start all over again?


Is there an advantage to getting babies besides the cuteness factor?

 

[Gonzo]

Well, The red stars should be more productive than the barred rocks, not that barred rocks don't lay alot, because they do... The red stars are suspossed to be really good layers, and they're close enough in age that when you put them in the coop, they won't have an established flock to fit into. Really though, its personal prefance. Good Luck!

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Looking at what's easiest, I think you would be better off getting the chicks that are the same age as yours. If you get chicks that are a month younger than yours, they are going to need to be brooded at a higher temperature than your older chicks are at right now and will be in the brooder longer. They'd be spending up to 6 weeks apart, depending on the weather where you live. By then, your first chickens will already have been out in the coop on their own for awhile and your new chicks will be invaders.

Even though younger chickens aren't as mean as adults about defending territory, adolescents do spend a lot of time sparing, until they get the pecking order established. My teen aged chickens can be a little more fussy with each other, than my older chickens. At one month, still in the brooder, with chicks of the same age and size, I think your existing chickens will be much more accepting.

I'm sure you could manage it either way, though. It just depends on what you want to do. If you really want to experience raising more cute little chicks, do it. If you want to go the easiest route, the mess of older chicks in a brooder has started to lose some of it's charm or you'd rather spend your time doing something like gardening soon, go with the older chicks. Little chicks are really cute in the brooder, but older chickens can hang out with you outside, scratch around foraging, take dust baths and experience the wonder of the outdoors. That's pretty cool, too.

 

[Chickenteacher]

get the same agers.....seniors don't really take to freshmen that well.....

 

[Carenm]

Thanks. I thought about it all night and that is what I am going to do. Buy chicks the same age. Fuzzy butts are cute but they grow so fast. My DD will be sad but at the age of 5 she will get over it