Baby Chick Pictures!!!!! POST!

[pooh092197]

My fuzzballs only a couple of months ago. How quick they grow.

 

[gimmie birdies]

actually he has been nice since I brought him back home- I think kids were small and chasing his hens. he has not even gotten into a fight with my other 2 roos. He did break up one of my other roos that was chasing a hen, and has taught my roos to share feed with the hens.

He is a frizzle cochin -but smooth they come out 50% smooth.

 

[MullenAnne]

Your babies look about the same age as mine so I would like to ask a question. My girls are a month old now and getting some real feathers. They were in my bathtub for the first two weeks and in the shop the last two weeks ( it is insulated and stays fairly warm) I live on the Olympic peninsula and while it is starting to cool down the nights have not been too bad as yet. The girls are living in cardboard boxes, I just added a third box several days ago. The first box has the heat lamp and they are rarely in there during the day and not as late as 11pm at night. They seem to prefer the next box over where they either sleep near the opening to the heated box or on the roost. The third box now has their food and water and treat basket. I keep paper on the floor here so food and water not such a mess all the time.
So, my question. I have a 6X10 A-frame coop with the nesting area and roost in the top 3 feet, enclosed by plywood. The entire bottom is chicken wire and the roost while the sides are protected from the wind and rain, it is open to the bottom. The nesting area is also open on one side but well protected from wind and rain. I could put their heat lamp in the opening to the nesting area for added heat, and they would have the nesting box to get in as well. Do you think it is too early to move them outside?? I worry a little about putting them out next month when they have more feathers but have been so protected that they are not accustomed to the outside temps. No problem waiting, they seem happy in their three room condo, but I do wish they were outside to enjoy the ground and the sunny parts of the day. If I put them in the coop for the day it would be hard to retrieve them to bring in at night, no open to the bottom, would have to climb in the small top portion of the A (would probably have to put in my grandson, lol). Once they are bigger they will be free ranging and have access to the coop at night and for laying. Sorry, this has gotten way long. Your pictures just made me wonder if I was being over protective keeping the girls inside so long. Anne

 

[gapey]

Your babies look about the same age as mine so I would like to ask a question. My girls are a month old now and getting some real feathers. They were in my bathtub for the first two weeks and in the shop the last two weeks ( it is insulated and stays fairly warm) I live on the Olympic peninsula and while it is starting to cool down the nights have not been too bad as yet. The girls are living in cardboard boxes, I just added a third box several days ago. The first box has the heat lamp and they are rarely in there during the day and not as late as 11pm at night. They seem to prefer the next box over where they either sleep near the opening to the heated box or on the roost. The third box now has their food and water and treat basket. I keep paper on the floor here so food and water not such a mess all the time.
So, my question. I have a 6X10 A-frame coop with the nesting area and roost in the top 3 feet, enclosed by plywood. The entire bottom is chicken wire and the roost while the sides are protected from the wind and rain, it is open to the bottom. The nesting area is also open on one side but well protected from wind and rain. I could put their heat lamp in the opening to the nesting area for added heat, and they would have the nesting box to get in as well. Do you think it is too early to move them outside?? I worry a little about putting them out next month when they have more feathers but have been so protected that they are not accustomed to the outside temps. No problem waiting, they seem happy in their three room condo, but I do wish they were outside to enjoy the ground and the sunny parts of the day. If I put them in the coop for the day it would be hard to retrieve them to bring in at night, no open to the bottom, would have to climb in the small top portion of the A (would probably have to put in my grandson, lol). Once they are bigger they will be free ranging and have access to the coop at night and for laying. Sorry, this has gotten way long. Your pictures just made me wonder if I was being over protective keeping the girls inside so long. Anne

Not sure who you are asking but I plan on putting my chicks outside at 6 or 7 weeks. Mine are 3.5 weeks now and are in a plywood 2x4 box inside the house but this weekend I'm moving them to the garage. I have taken them on a couple of field trips outside on some nice days. The first time they didn't really move much. I think they were in shock and didn't know what to do but the 2nd time outside they were much more active and one of them ate about 5 worms and wouldn't let the others have any. I'm not an expert but I would wait till at least 6 weeks which it sounds like you are pretty close to if they are a month old. I'm in WA too.

 

[gimmie birdies]

hey Eastern wa here but I have lived on Bainbridge and in Gold bar- that being said. rule of thumb as I understand it is if you want to go with out heat they should be atleast 9 weeks. I put them out in the coop in a brooder with a secured lamp at 4 weeks. just because they get too smelly in the house.

 

[pooh092197]

[/IMG][/IMG][/IMG]I live in Indiana and mine have been outside now for about 3 weeks or so and are doing wonderful. They started off as chicks in the pics on my back porch in a childs wading pool, with a heat lamp. Then only a heat lamp at night and finally no heat lamp prior to moving. They grew so fast and their feathers were coming in so I moved them to the barn where their coop and run are. I layered the run and coop with 4 bags of pine shavings ( 3 in coop, 1 in the run). My barn has a concrete floor, the run is dirt. I learned from my readings to keep them in the coop only for a week or so until they learn that is their home. One of my first mistake was allowing them access to both and they would not go in at night and I would have to climb in the run and catch all 8 of them to put them away at night. Lol. What a sight, only 4ft tall. They did learn that the coop is their home and a flashlight works really well to coax them in. I use the flashlight now if they are not already in. Just the other day they started using the roost I have in there for them but prefer to all roost in the window ledge (facing in the barn covered in wire and now plastic also). Other ideas I've used to warm the run; I built reusable plastic panels to cover the sides of the run and a tarp for the roof this winter, next spring I will build a plywood roof. This will give them a dry and wind breaker area to enjoy outside even on the coldest days. I don't currently have electricity hooked up in the barn/coop, so I don't plan to use a heater outside, plus if the electric ever went out I would need a generator to keep the girls warm. I am getting an estimate to have it hooked up so i can use a water heater and a light in there because it is really dark. I did build a pop door with hooks and eyes to keep it open during the day and closed at night. I make sure all the girls are locked in the coop at night. I hope I have answered your questions. I am a 1st time chicken owner/lover. If anyone else could chime in on advice for Anne or me, it would be appreciated. Thank you, Deanna

 

[Sustained]

Buttons likes to browse backyardchickens.com with me!




Naptime

 

[MullenAnne]

Thank you Gapey, I could not find the post I was asking the question to, lol. I will wait a couple of weeks for a nice sunny afternoon and see how they do. Have you raised chickens in WA before?

 

[MullenAnne]

hey Eastern wa here but I have lived on Bainbridge and in Gold bar- that being said. rule of thumb as I understand it is if you want to go with out heat they should be atleast 9 weeks. I put them out in the coop in a brooder with a secured lamp at 4 weeks. just because they get too smelly in the house.

Thanks, I can run a lamp to the coop with an extension cord from the garage. The roof is water proof and should be fine but I do worry about the bulb burning out or the electricity going out. With that said I guess I should wait a few more weeks.

 

[gapey]

Thank you Gapey, I could not find the post I was asking the question to, lol.  I will wait a couple of weeks for a nice sunny afternoon and see how they do.  Have you raised chickens in WA before?

This is my first time raising chicks. I have 5 adult chickens that came with the house I bought a few months ago.