Brooding new chicks in the coop...what problems will I face?

[aart]

......and one of the hens grabbed a chick by the toes and tried to drag her under the door........

Ooooooo, that's another con for the 'raised partition wall' theory....very good point<thumbsup>

 

[lazy gardener]

Thank you.

 

[willr]

I am also considering starting my chicks in a brooder in the coop and this thread has given me some great ideas. Thanks!

However, what concerns should I have about introducing babies to my coop in terms of possible unknown diseases? I have a healthy flock and I assume that new chicks should be healthy, but I'm wondering if this is something to be concerned about? Any chance of my chickens having something that could hurt those little chicks or vice-versa?

When I have introduced pullets from another flock in the past they were kept in a quarantine coop for a good while before introducing the flocks but should we do the same with chicks from a hatchery?

 

[Blooie]

Many of us toss a clump of sod from an area where the chicks will eventually live right into the brooder, even (or especially) when brooding them indoors. It gives them something to do...they love to scratch it, dust bathe in what they knock off it, and take in some of the grit from it. It also gives them a head start with their immune systems. I do this when I put new chicks outside in the brooder for the first time as well. I brood my chicks outdoors in the same run the Bigs are in from the start, and have never had an issue. I can't recall anyone else who broods outdoors having any problems either, but if they have I'm sure they'll chime in.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I consider chicks from a hatchery as safe as the ones I hatch myself. That does not mean there is absolutely zero risk with hatchery chicks or my chicks, but with their biosecurity practices it’s something I don’t worry about.

Of course it is possible that your adults may have something that they could give to the chicks. It’s even likely for a lot of us, considering coccidiosis. My adults have at least one strain of coccidiosis. But your chicks are going to be exposed to that at some point in the future anyway. They are normally much better equipped to work on their immunities as chicks than when they are older. Besides it is easier for me to observe them while they are in the brooder than when they are out foraging. If I need to intervene it’s easier. I never have, but it would be easier with my set-up.

I don’t cut a piece of turf and give it to them. Nothing wrong with that but I scoop up some dirt from the run that the adults have probably recently pooped in and feed that to the chicks. That gets grit in their system. That gets any probiotics the adults have into their system. And that enables them to start developing any flock immunities they need to develop. I much prefer to them building up a strong immune system instead of trying to raise them in a sterile environment. If you raise them in a sterile environment they are totally unprepared when they are exposed later.

Blooie, the only time I ever had an issue was not with brooder chicks but with chicks being raised by a broody hen. It set in wet and I did not keep the water changed. That’s how I know I have at least one strain of cocci in my flock. That was my fault. If I’d kept the water changed as I knew I should they’d have never had a problem.

 

[Blooie]

Thanks, @Ridgerunner This is one of those questions I almost hate to answer because in the back of my mind I wonder what will happen if the asker ends up losing chicks because I was dead wrong with my answer. <sigh> Best thing to do is just to tell them what I've done personally and then ask for others with more experience to chime in. Glad it was you who did!!

 

[aldarita]

I am also planning to raise my 3 one day old easter egger chicks in the run where I am keeping 3 pullets right now.
The run is big enough to place a 4x4 dog cage in one of the corners (run is a 20x10 kennel completely covered with 1/4 inch hwc). DH is installing a portal (Azygous design) in the dog cage so I can start letting the chicks out under supervision when they turn 5 weeks old.
I am concerned and ask for advise about what to do regarding immunity.This is my plan and please feel free to make any corrections.My chicks will be vaccinated for marek's so I need to keep them in isolation for at least 2 weeks, after that (hopping that the vaccine has taken) I can start building immunity by placing some of the sand where the adults live in their brooder and give them some of the grass from the open area where the adults roam and after a week or so I can transfer them to the run where they will live. I am afraid that if I move them right from their brooder into the run without any sort of transition, they might get a "biological shock" too strong for them???

Please advise.....and thanks in advance

 

[Ridgerunner]

I am also planning to raise my 3 one day old easter egger chicks in the run where I am keeping 3 pullets right now. The run is big enough to place a 4x4 dog cage in one of the corners (run is a 20x10 kennel completely covered with 1/4 inch hwc). DH is installing a portal (Azygous design) in the dog cage so I can start letting the chicks out under supervision when they turn 5 weeks old. I am concerned and ask for advise about what to do regarding immunity.This is my plan and please feel free to make any corrections.My chicks will be vaccinated for marek's so I need to keep them in isolation for at least 2 weeks, after that (hopping that the vaccine has taken) I can start building immunity by placing some of the sand where the adults live in their brooder and give them some of the grass from the open area where the adults roam and after a week or so I can transfer them to the run where they will live. I am afraid that if I move them right from their brooder into the run without any sort of transition, they might get a "biological shock" too strong for them??? Please advise.....and thanks in advance

Sounds like a good plan to me. To me the biggest risk for a biological shock is not introducing them to the other birds or their environment, it’s having a wet brooder, coop or run. There are a lot of different parasites and diseases in the world so no one can give guarantees on any of this, but in my opinion if you can keep their area fairly dry when they are first introduced to it you’ve helped yourself a lot. Of course you need to keep an on them and keep a watch for signs of problems, you need to be doing that with your flock all the time no matter how long it has been established. But they are pretty tough. If you can give them just a little help they are pretty good at taking care of themselves.

 

[Skyfeathers]

My daughter, sister-in-law, and I each have backyard flocks, and have hatched with incubators and broody hens or bought chicks at Tractor Supply. We have noticed a definite difference in the health of our chicks, depending on where they are brooded. Those that are brooded outside in a partitioned area in the main coop and run are very healthy compared to those brooded in the house, and being in constant contact with the older hens through the hardware cloth greatly reduces the fighting and bullying. When integrating them we make sure there are escape hatches for the little ones, and plenty of perches, feeders, and waterers available. Breed seems to make a difference, too, I've noticed my leghorns are more skittish and get bullied more than some others, and my olive eggers are real big bullies. Their personalities have a lot do do with how they are treated by the others. I've noticed some of my milder mannered hens are never bothered, while others are chased mercilessly. Then I have a few hens that are bullied, then bully others in turn. Henhouse politics! I finally split the run and put my older and mild mannered or skittish ones in their own section and it's so much quieter out there now!

You can see Marigold looking over my pullets. She's like a Victorian matriarch that never gets ruffled, is never picked on, but also never picks on anyone.
Good luck with your chicks, you've come to the right place for information! I don't post often, but have read tons of threads on here and have learned so much!. They have provided me much information, guidance, and laughter, and comfort when things did not turn out well.

 

[luvmyeggs]

I have a question about hatching chicks under a broody hen. I have a broody Silkie, and currently she has 8 eggs under her. They all should start hatching in a few days. 1 has already hatched today. I normally have the day old babies inside my house. I want to let her do the work this time. I have 6 hens and 3 roosters. All live in the same coop. What do I need to do for the chicks?