They're driving me NUTS!

ChickAsThieves

Songster
8 Years
Apr 13, 2014
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Northeast
I have 17 chicks in the brooder. They are all between 5-6 weeks old and fully feathered. Some are substantially bigger than others. For example, my FBCM roo is at least twice as big as my Polish pullets. They're in the same type of metal trough type of brooder that Tractor Supply houses the chicks in during Chick Days.

Anyway, I'm torn because they can't stay in the brooder anymore, but I'm worried that some of them are small to move in with the adults in the coop. I say they can't stay in the brooder anymore because they are running out of physical space to move around AND because they're making such a mess in there that it is unhealthy. I fill the waterer (standard 1 gallon poultry) twice a day and fill up their food twice a day as well. They either spill the waterer or get so much poop and shavings in it that it is foul within an hour or two of it being changed. It's causing the inside of the brooder to be completely gross. I cleaned out the brooder so that it was spotless on Sunday night. This morning it was completely gross and smelly again.

Can I move these guys outside? The weather here has been 70-80 during the day and 60's at night. The chicks have not been under a heat source for over a week. I can't imagine keeping them inside much longer.
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I just don't want the adults to harm them, of course!

Edited to add a pic from this morning!

 
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They are overdue moving outside! You need to have them out there but separated by a wire fence for a few days, so the adults get used to them. Then start introductions late in the day outside, and separate overnight. Then start to open everything up to allow mingling, again with plenty of space. Some people set up a 'safe room' where they can go in and the bigger birds can't, and that works well too. And feed an all- flock so they aren't eating layer for now. Mary
 
Thank you for your response! The problem is that I only have one (very large) coop. If I separate the chicks from the adults then the chicks aren't going to have any shelter at night. The last time that I had chicks our broody raised them, so I haven't had to deal with integration before!
 
Oh my gosh! I was brooding 14 in one of the exact same metal stock tanks that they use at the feed stores. I know the struggle of having to refill food and water twice daily (or more) because they go through it, tip it over, or soil it so fast. I moved mine outside at 4 1/2 weeks and I thought they were crowded in there. Definitely move them if you can. Mine are so happy to have the extra room! There are a couple good threads on integrating chicks with the flock that I've seen floating around here.
 
I have 17 chicks in the brooder. They are all between 5-6 weeks old and fully feathered. Some are substantially bigger than others. For example, my FBCM roo is at least twice as big as my Polish pullets. They're in the same type of metal trough type of brooder that Tractor Supply houses the chicks in during Chick Days.

Anyway, I'm torn because they can't stay in the brooder anymore, but I'm worried that some of them are small to move in with the adults in the coop. I say they can't stay in the brooder anymore because they are running out of physical space to move around AND because they're making such a mess in there that it is unhealthy. I fill the waterer (standard 1 gallon poultry) twice a day and fill up their food twice a day as well. They either spill the waterer or get so much poop and shavings in it that it is foul within an hour or two of it being changed. It's causing the inside of the brooder to be completely gross. I cleaned out the brooder so that it was spotless on Sunday night. This morning it was completely gross and smelly again.

Can I move these guys outside? The weather here has been 70-80 during the day and 60's at night. The chicks have not been under a heat source for over a week. I can't imagine keeping them inside much longer.
hmm.png


I just don't want the adults to harm them, of course!
Sorry to hear your going crazy! No need too!
Move the bratts outside!
I have three week old chicks that have been out in the coop since 5 days old!
I have 32 chicks!
They have the coop and the outside run all day!
Temp is only about 10 degrees under the lamp at night!
Your chicks at 6 weeks dont need heat anymore!
 
Set up a temporary "panic room" for the chicks and place food and water inside it. It needn't be very large, just two or three openings into it so the chicks can get inside but big chickens can't.

This method of integration makes things go so much smoother than just letting the chicks mingle with no refuge to find safety. It also helps to have lots of perches a few feet off the ground place around the coop as a means to evade adults.

The food and water is pretty important so the chicks get enough until they are fully accepted and not chased away.

Post a few pics of your coop inside and we can help you design a refuge.
 
Thank you! I will take pics this evening. In the meantime I will see if I can find some pics of "chick safe rooms" online. Great idea!
 
I know this post is way dead, but I wanted to post a picture of our solution in case anyone comes across this in the future. We made a mini chicken tractor and put it inside the run. All of the birds could see each other, but the big girls couldn't hurt the little ones. At night we put a Rubbermaid container with a semi-circle cut out on the side into the chicken tractor so that they had protection from the elements. This was a great way to introduce the little ones to the flock and get them out of my house!
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That's a nice little build there. I do something similar in my bantam coop, I use a wire enclosure to contain mine, and then prop a side up so they can slip under to go in and out as they need to.
 

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