Time to move them?

I've got 4day old 15 chicks in a 33gallon tote brooder right now. I added a 15 inch long branch (1in diameter) for then to practice perching on which works wonders and plenty of room to play, eat, sleep and drink.
Today I caught one of the Black Australorps on top of the brooder feeder. Do you think it's time to move them to the stock tank that's in the garage? I was planning on doing this on Wednesday already but wasn't planning on these girls doing this yet. I AM able to place a child's gate over top, if that would help; not sure about heat lamp burning thru though.
Please any advice and thanks in advance

If you have a stock tank then use it. There is no need to use the tote at all. Really like my stock tank. We put the feed and water less than half way to make a smaller area under heat source. As they grow the feed and water are moved to far end opening up the entire area. They self regulate temp and have lots of space.

Egghead_Jr said:

If you have a stock tank then use it. There is no need to use the tote at all. Really like my stock tank. We put the feed and water less than half way to make a smaller area under heat source. As they grow the feed and water are moved to far end opening up the entire area. They self regulate temp and have lots of space.

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Thank you much! I will be moving them. Should I put hardware wire top on it or will they be alright?I just didn't want them that far away at the beginning. When we get the next several, should I just add them to the big area?

Yes you can add them all in same brooding area as long as they are relatively same age. Like I'm doing staggered hatches so have a few 2 week old and many hatching today into tomorrow. I was putting them in and monitoring but then one had minor bleeding so got nervous about that. 2 weeks in age difference is quite a bit. Decided to put a milk crate with paper towels under the lamp for hatchlings right in same trough. In a day or two I'll let them out of that so all mingle. As it stands now there is enough space to side of crate near heat for the larger birds if they need it. They seem content hanging out half the trough away from it now.

Edit to say: the minor bleeding was from umbilical cord area at hatch not any pecking. But with bleeding was sure pecking would follow so separated them while still in same large bin.

Thank you so much.
....okay
I just moved them to the garage/ big brooder (I'm so sad I won't be able to watch them as much)...
How do I get them to stop pecking thru the pine shavings onto the metal tub? This was issue before.
I put perch in there also. Getting a plastic mirror and some dirt in a bowel for dust bathing tomorrow.

At this age they don't need a perch. I've added them in the past when brooding longer periods of time. In general we only put water and feed on brick or blocks of wood to hold them out of shavings in attempt to keep clean. In the first few days from hatch we put paper towels on the pine shavings. Works two fold in it provides a better flat footing for new born and is the first stage of cleaning as it's taken out once they start to scratch them up. There is nothing wrong with older chicks scratching and pecking at the liter. Completely natural. If the pecking at bottom of trough bothers you then add more shavings for depth. I've never heard of young chicks dust bathing but some do put soil in the brooder at a cocci coping technique. Transitioning them to the soil that they will soon be on.

Egghead_Jr said:

At this age they don't need a perch. I've added them in the past when brooding longer periods of time. In general we only put water and feed on brick or blocks of wood to hold them out of shavings in attempt to keep clean. In the first few days from hatch we put paper towels on the pine shavings. Works two fold in it provides a better flat footing for new born and is the first stage of cleaning as it's taken out once they start to scratch them up. There is nothing wrong with older chicks scratching and pecking at the liter. Completely natural. If the pecking at bottom of trough bothers you then add more shavings for depth. I've never heard of young chicks dust bathing but some do put soil in the brooder at a cocci coping technique. Transitioning them to the soil that they will soon be on.

Click to expand...

thanks. Yeah, I think the perch was just to give them something else to do lol. These LO are so adorable pretending to dust bathe and that'll give them another thing as well. I tried to get dirt they'd be using when they're older, but we've been having many storms. Think I'll get a little peat moss perhaps.
They seem to like the larger area which is good, they're still napping on top of each other as always but I think that's cause that's what they do. Temp is 95 in there.