Baby chickens

[animallover556]

I have four baby chicks. They’ll will be two weeks old on Sunday. They’re in our spare room right now. I clean their shavings everyday, and i change their water everyday. They’re starting to fly around. They’re starting to stink up the house, and my mom doesn’t want them in the house much longer… idk what to do. The temperatures are in the 25 to 35s at night. Right now I have them under a brooder plate, and it’s around 75 to 80 degrees. I thought that was too cold, but anything higher they don’t seem to like it. Im building them a coop. I don’t know what to do. Im afraid their going to die when we put them in their coop.

 

[Iluveggers]

I have four baby chicks. They’ll will be two weeks old on Sunday. They’re in our spare room right now. I clean their shavings everyday, and i change their water everyday. They’re starting to fly around. They’re starting to stink up the house, and my mom doesn’t want them in the house much longer… idk what to do. The temperatures are in the 25 to 35s at night. Right now I have them under a brooder plate, and it’s around 75 to 80 degrees. I thought that was too cold, but anything higher they don’t seem to like it. Im building them a coop. I don’t know what to do. Im afraid their going to die when we put them in their coop.

They can go in the coop if you provide heat for them out there. A mama heat plate works well if you search how to make one on here. Are there other birds in the coop now or will they have it to themselves? If there are others they will also need protection from the bigger birds, like a dog crate, until they get bigger.

 

[Farmlife16]

When will the coop be ready? What are your daytime highs? By 4 weeks chicks are usually fully feathered and can be off heat depending on the outside temps. Since temps are still getting below freezing where you are, you might want to add supplemental heating to be safe. The main thing is to watch the chicks closely to see if they are cold (chirping loudly/huddled in a corner) not necessarily the specific temp. Chicks will also huddle if it is dark, even though the brooder is warm. I personally turn the brooder light off at night for the chicks I raise (I feel that it is not natural to have light on all the time). My baby chicks would huddle and chirp like they were freezing, even thought the temp in the brooder was still just as warm as it was a few minutes prior. They just weren't used to the dark

Do you have a garage that you could move the chicks to until the coop is built? One tip as far as them jumping is to put a metal baking rack on top of the brooder

 

[animallover556]

Yes, it’s called a brooder plate, but it’s going to be super cold so i was going to use a heat lamp! They’ll be in their own coops. Four chickens. No one animals.

 

[animallover556]

When will the coop be ready? What are your daytime highs? By 4 weeks chicks are usually fully feathered and can be off heat depending on the outside temps. Since temps are still getting below freezing where you are, you might want to add supplemental heating to be safe. The main thing is to watch the chicks closely to see if they are cold (chirping loudly/huddled in a corner) not necessarily the specific temp. Chicks will also huddle if it is dark, even though the brooder is warm. I personally turn the brooder light off at night for the chicks I raise (I feel that it is not natural to have light on all the time). My baby chicks would huddle and chirp like they were freezing, even thought the temp in the brooder was still just as warm as it was a few minutes prior. They just weren't used to the dark

Do you have a garage that you could move the chicks to until the coop is built? One tip as far as them jumping is to put a metal baking rack on top of the brooder

When will the coop be ready? What are your daytime highs? By 4 weeks chicks are usually fully feathered and can be off heat depending on the outside temps. Since temps are still getting below freezing where you are, you might want to add supplemental heating to be safe. The main thing is to watch the chicks closely to see if they are cold (chirping loudly/huddled in a corner) not necessarily the specific temp. Chicks will also huddle if it is dark, even though the brooder is warm. I personally turn the brooder light off at night for the chicks I raise (I feel that it is not natural to have light on all the time). My baby chicks would huddle and chirp like they were freezing, even thought the temp in the brooder was still just as warm as it was a few minutes prior. They just weren't used to the dark

Do you have a garage that you could move the chicks to until the coop is built? One tip as far as them jumping is to put a metal baking rack on top of the brooder

The highs are going to be 49, 60, 61, 46, 40, 48, 51,47,52, and 67. That’s what it says on the weather app, but it changes. It’s around there. No i don’t have a garage or no where to put them . I can keep them in for another week or so. They’ll be almost 3 weeks at that time. What’s supplemental heating? Like a heat lamp? i just don’t want my poor babies dying. their so sweet!! thank you for the tips!

 

[Farmlife16]

Yes, a heat lamp would work. Be careful though, because there is a fire risk with heat lamps. I would give them some heat if the temps are the same as they are now when you move them into the coop. If the temps are in the 40s/50s at night and 60s/70s during the day, they could most likely be without heat if they have good amount of feathers. I've had chicks off heat at 2 weeks in those temps (not your current temps, but the ones I mentioned) with no problems. I had raised a few batches of chicks at that point, so if this is your first time you might want to play it more safe and wait a bit longer to get them off heat. All that to say, if your chicks are healthy and you keep a close eye on them they should do great! Hope this helps!

 

[animallover556]

Yes, a heat lamp would work. Be careful though, because there is a fire risk with heat lamps. I would give them some heat if the temps are the same as they are now when you move them into the coop. If the temps are in the 40s/50s at night and 60s/70s during the day, they could most likely be without heat if they have good amount of feathers. I've had chicks off heat at 2 weeks in those temps (not your current temps, but the ones I mentioned) with no problems. I had raised a few batches of chicks at that point, so if this is your first time you might want to play it more safe and wait a bit longer to get them off heat. All that to say, if your chicks are healthy and you keep a close eye on them they should do great! Hope this helps!

they seem to be very happy and healthy. They are still fuzzy, but they’re growing. There starting to get their tail is what i think you would call it. They have their wings. Let’s say i move them into their coop at 2 weeks right? Should I leave the heat lamp on for them until they’re 4 weeks? Then turn it off during the day, and leave it on during the night. Just to get them used to the temps. Also the temps i said were the highs for the days. At nights it’s going to be in the 20s…. I definitely need to use the heat lamp until they get most of their feathers. I want to be extra careful with my babies. I love them so much. They love when I pick them up and give them attention. I’m already attached to them

 

[Farmlife16]

they seem to be very happy and healthy. They are still fuzzy, but they’re growing. There starting to get their tail is what i think you would call it. They have their wings. Let’s say i move them into their coop at 2 weeks right? Should I leave the heat lamp on for them until they’re 4 weeks? Then turn it off during the day, and leave it on during the night. Just to get them used to the temps. Also the temps i said were the highs for the days. At nights it’s going to be in the 20s…. I definitely need to use the heat lamp until they get most of their feathers. I want to be extra careful with my babies. I love them so much. They love when I pick them up and give them attention. I’m already attached to them

They sound adorable! Yes, that sounds like a great plan. This is not necessary, but one good way to prepare them for the coop and for being without heat is to take them outside if you have a warm sunny day and let them play for a little bit. They should be pretty fast already, so it would be ideal to have some sort of enclosure to put them in, though I often let them roam free with close supervision. There is of course the risk that you won't be able to catch them or that something else will, though it's never happened to me. Usually if you are out in full sun they will stick close to your shadow because they know it's safe (they think you're the mother hen haha) I bring them in once they start chirping loudly like they are cold.