Can I safely put different age (in weeks) chicks together in same brooder?

[blueyedgirl]

Can I safely put different age (in weeks) chicks together in same brooder? Some are almost 2 weeks old and others are not quite a week.

 

[Frankie Ruiz]

The 2 week olds will pick on the younger ones from my knowledge but I would try it and see what happens. I know I put chicks together within about a 3 day age difference before and they did fine.

 

[blueyedgirl]

Thanks for advice. New to raising chickens and appreciate all the help I can get.

 

[blueyedgirl]

Have them where I can keep a watchful eye all day long. Going to observe them for a couple days closely to see how things go with them all together.

 

[PapaChaz]

I put week old and a few days old in with 3 and 4 week olds with no problems. Of course every situation is different. I would think it depends on the breeds somewhat.

I did separate them last week, but only because the older ones could move out to the coop and the younger ones need to stay inside a bit longer. I did put them all together in the run today, very little 'I'm bigger than you" stuff at all, one of the smallest austraplorps made a point to spend her time right in the middle of the 5 week olds....

 

[blueyedgirl]

My almost 2 week olds are Yellow Mille Fleur Bantams (not sure if pullets or roos) and my not quite a week olds are Yellow Sexlink pullets. Three of each.

 

[blueyedgirl]

What age can I move them to my outside coop?

 

[PapaChaz]

What age can I move them to my outside coop?

what's the weather like? typically, most chicks will be fully feathered by 5 weeks or so. Once fully feathered, they have the natural insulation that mother nature supplies them with, they'll be able to ruffle up their feathers and stay warm.

If you have a brooder thermometer, it will tell you something along the lines of temp guidelines by week:
week 1 - 95
week 2 -90
week 3 - 85
week 4 - 75

after week 4, my brooder thermometer makes no indication a minimum temp is necessary, for what that's worth.

I put some of mine out in the coop last friday, 6 were 4 1/2 weeks old, 2 were 3 1/2 weeks old. I put a heat lamp, (secured 3 ways because they're such a fire hazard) along with a digital wireless thermometer. I turn the lamp off during the day because it's been in the 70's and 80's here in NW GA. This coming weekend, they're predicting low 30's for us, near or just below freezing. By next wed, it will be back to the mid 50's at night, and by then I will move my other 6 chicks out to the coop, they'll be 3 and 4 weeks old by then. Time to get them out of the kitchen!

 

[MackenzieK]

Quote:

and by then I will move my other 6 chicks out to the coop, they'll be 3 and 4 weeks old by then.

Hi there,
I'm new to chickens and was reading through the thread. I had my questions answered on whether or not to have chicks of different ages together in the brooder (I have 3 three-week old Buffs and 8 one-week-old Barred Rocks).
My question is, if they are in the brooder together, should I move them out to the coop together? As in, do I hold back the Buffs until the Barred Rocks are ready? Or move the 3 older Buffs when the are ready and leave the younger Barred Rocks until they are ready a few weeks later?


Thanks!!

 

[azygous]

First of all, generally speaking, you can mingle different aged chicks before they're a month old. After four weeks, they begin to take note of differences. But even so, you shouldn't have too much drama mixing chicks within two weeks of each other. So go ahead a put them together. I wouldn't expect they would even notice there are some slighter bigger or smaller. A single peck on the head of a newcomer is normal. After that initial greeting, they should settle in together.

If you have a coop without any adults to contend with, by all means move them in immediately. As long as the days are over 75, they may not even need a heat source. Of course, at night they will until after four weeks or so, and they have feathers up to their heads.

My three-week olds are in the grow-out pen with no additional heat during the day, and a heating pad cave system inside their coop at night turned down to the "low" setting. They're about half-way feathered out, downy heads still and only a strip of feathers on their backs, and they seem very comfortable with no additional heat until dusk.

Those heat guidelines are over-kill in my opinion, chicks generally preferring much cooler temps, in my experience.