mixing day-old with 7-day old

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chickenfan

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I have had one marans chick hatch from a small incubator. It will need company, and I wonder if it can be gradually integrated with three 7-day old marans chicks, or whether it is likely to be bullied.
 
6 days difference is the maximum I have managed to mix chicks at an early age. So you may be OK, but obviously it will need watching very carefully. We usually mix a 7 day hatch with a 13 day hatch (result of replacing infertile eggs with new in the incubator at 6 days). Leaving it any later than that and the birds from each hatch start fighting. It is at that point we double the enclosure size and add extra feeders and drinkers as well. Problem with a day old is they tend to fall asleep at any time and could be trodden on or attacked then. At 7 days we have put them onto night and day and they are up all day and asleep at night. So it's going to be a risk, but I guess one you will need to take Chickenfan.
 
Thanks Chris. Perhaps if I put it into a contained section within a larger pen, with the chick on its own? Alternatively I could buy a couple of day olds, but I am extremely nervous about buying in.
 
I can understand you being nervous buying in Chickenfan -it's a big risk. Good idea about the contained section, if they can all see each other and the youngster is warm enough. Then at 7 days put them together. Leave it later than that and the older ones will have formed a 'tribe' and may not accept the youngster?

You are having a variety of problems Chickenfan. I think you used up all your luck getting a hatch with completely wrong humidity at the beginning.
 
Yes, I don't know why only my own eggs hatch, and almost none that I buy in. I tried a Brinsea mini-eco this time, but only had 5 eggs in it. I think incubators are not for me as I haven't discovered what went wrong.

Thank you for your thoughts again on the contained section. The only thing is, it is only one bird, not a little group of a different age. Perhaps I can put one of the older chicks in with it.
 
That's a good idea Chickenfan. Hadn't thought of that. Still need to keep a close eye on things though.

Our incubators are semi-automatics. Both are cheap'ish. One is an unknown Spanish make, the other is a Covatuttu24. They are fan assisted with two water trays so humidity is an educated guess. They are well insulated. We have excellent hatch rates with them, but only hatch our eggs. Like you the few we bought in were very poor quality and gave poor results. Broodies are a whole different issue. The key I think is not to try to hatch too many eggs, because that can lead to late hatchers being abandoned. Our Wyandotte was given just 6 twice and both times we had a perfect hatch.
 
Thank you again Chris. Well I tried putting one older chick in and like you say, it stood on top of it. I now have the baby on its own in a clear-sided container. Its looking more lively now, and eating much better, but wants to join the others. I might buy in just one as a companion.

Thank you for your thoughts on incubators. This is useful, though I don't have a lot more space now for more birds. I was keen to hatch an Araucana companion for my one remaining Araucana. I think this breed likes its own kind.
 
Still not sure what to do about the one on its own. It is eating well now it can see the others, but has no immediate companion. I just wonder if that might make it unbalanced, and how easy it will be to integrate at a week old?
 
That's when we integrate ours Chickenfan. Not sure it needs a companion, unless you can find an Araucana chick exactly the same age! It will be bottom of the pecking order, but not necessarily for ever. Just as long as it can get away when challenged. It can see the others and mimic their behaviour, without getting hurt at the moment.
 
You are right, Chris. It seems perfectly happy, so thanks for your helpful advice.
 
The lone chick is now 6 days old and I put it with the others for a little while, but it gets bullied by all of them. It is only half their size and is a single chick, which worries me. The 13-day old ones have been a united gang of three for some time. I'm not sure what to do. I could try putting it with one older chick in a completely new place away from its companions when it is dark so they wake up together, but there will still be the big size difference. I think it needs a pecking companion soon, rather than just looking through its container at the other chicks.
 
What did you mean by 'putting them onto night and day' at 7 days, Chris?
 
We have them under a red heat light for the first 7 days Chickenfan, so they can eat and drink at any time. Then we introduce them to night and day using a white heat lamp and a black (ceramic) heat lamp or they go under an electric hen in an area which gets natural daylight -depends on the ambient temperatures. Our last hatch was in October, so it was getting cold and the sun was too low to get much daylight. The first day of the changeover they get very hungry overnight and the second day they have learned and have full crops at night.

It's an improvement over a broody hen rearing them. They grow much faster.
 
I see. Thanks for your reply Chris. Any suggestions on what I can do next? I can't leave the one chick on its own much longer if it is going to be a normal chick. It wants to join the others, but as it is only half their size it gets bullied by them if I put it in. If I'm going to need another chick of the same age, I'd rather do it asap, as the younger they are, the less illnesses they carry. Do you think I can integrate it with the others, and if so how? And when - at how many days old? I could try putting it in a new environment with just one of the older chicks so the older chick only has this one for company, but it is still going to be a lot bigger.
 
I forgot to say its very interesting to learn how you get your tiny ones to grow much more quickly at the beginning. Mine are with an electric hen. The 14-day olds have grown very fast (long days) and are very active.
 
I think at this stage the older chick may resent being moved, unless you can identify the lowest in the pecking order. But it is worth a try.

We had a young Leghorn bantam pullet desperate to join the main flock. She wasn't laying so I thought it too early but put her in anyway. When she went in she was immediately trodden by the cockerel and then bashed into place by his hens, but that was still where she wanted to be!
 
Thanks Chris - so what do you suggest I do? It really didn't work when I put the one chick with the three. It ended up being pecked by all of them hiding on its own and miserable. I could keep it a bit longer in the clear container. I'm sure one of the older one won't like leaving its friends, but I can't think of another option, apart from perhaps buying in another one or two 7-day olds.
 
I would get a couple more chicks if possible, if you know somewhere near that has some the right age or size, whilst you can. The longer you leave it, the less likely it us that the singleton will be able to relate to other chicks, so there won't be much hope for it becoming a normal thriving bird. Yes you may be bringing in disease but if you can keep them separate they will effectively be quarantined, won't they? The only other solution would seem to be to cull it. It would help you decide if you knew what sex it is, of course!
 
Thank you very much for your helpful feedback Marigold. It is far too lovely to cull, and a great little chick, so I will look for a couple of friends for it on Friday. I hope it is not too late at 9 days.
 
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