I'm a chick mamma newbie - 3 week old chicks in coop question PLEASE HELP!

[Dgrundy14]

I'm expecting two four week old chicks sometime this week. I was wondering if I should keep them inside for awhile.But it sounds like they should do just fine outside. I just finished a addition to the coop to keep them separated from my New Hampshire and Red sex link. We're only aloud to have four chickens in this city. Thank you. Enjoy your new chicks

Where do you live? I'm in Alabama and I put mine outside when they were 3 1/2 weeks old. They are doing great!

 

[Dgrundy14]

I forgot to say, I kept them inside the coop for a few days before letting them down underneath the coop . Here is my coop:

 

[1300dollaregg]

I forgot to say, I kept them inside the coop for a few days before letting them down underneath the coop . Here is my coop:

We live in Elgin Illinois. Although we are experiencing Alabama like weather this summer, hot and humid. They should be fine outside.I just received shipping confirmation from Murray McMurray. The new chicks left Texas this afternoon. Anyone have any idea when they might arrive in Illinois?
I see you put cement blocks around the coop. Smart move. We didn't have our chickens last year for more than two days and something tried to dig under the hardware cloth. I'm glad I buried it a foot down and out.

 

[Dgrundy14]

We live in Elgin Illinois. Although we are experiencing Alabama like weather this summer, hot and humid. They should be fine outside.I just received shipping confirmation from Murray McMurray. The new chicks left Texas this afternoon. Anyone have any idea when they might arrive in Illinois?
I see you put cement blocks around the coop. Smart move. We didn't have our chickens last year for more than two days and something tried to dig under the hardware cloth. I'm glad I buried it a foot down and out.

My coop is a tractor so it's movable. We couldn't bury the wire so I decided to do the blocks and will just move them too when I move the coop. We have way too many raccoons so I didn't want to take a chance with my girls. I'd love to see a picture of your chicks.

 

[mhay1]

Hi
I am a newbie as well. My chicks are 3 weeks as well. Just wondering, do you chop the spinach up or give them the whole leaf? Also, when feeding other treats do you give them the whole worm from the ground and same goes for the freeze dried worms or do you need to chop into smaller pieces? How much grit a day do I give them? I am putting some into their food now, but when I offer a small dish of it they eat it all up. Can you overfeed them too much grit?
Thanks for the help.

 

[Dgrundy14]

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Hi
I am a newbie as well. My chicks are 3 weeks as well. Just wondering, do you chop the spinach up or give them the whole leaf? Also, when feeding other treats do you give them the whole worm from the ground and same goes for the freeze dried worms or do you need to chop into smaller pieces? How much grit a day do I give them? I am putting some into their food now, but when I offer a small dish of it they eat it all up. Can you overfeed them too much grit?
Thanks for the help.

I can answer about the spinach...the first time I gave it I just tore it up and held it in my hand. Only one would even think about coming to it,but I called out "treat, treat,treat" in a high voice every time I brought it to them. I do it about 3 times a day. By the second day, they were eating out of my hand. I've tried other treats like tomatoes but they won't touch them. They just want lettuce or spinach. Now, I can walk up the o the coop saying treat and they come running.

As for the grit, I just sprinkle a little and my girls eat it when they need it, sometimes it goes quickly and other times it's just left there.

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

We live in Elgin Illinois. Although we are experiencing Alabama like weather this summer, hot and humid. They should be fine outside.I just received shipping confirmation from Murray McMurray. The new chicks left Texas this afternoon. Anyone have any idea when they might arrive in Illinois?
I see you put cement blocks around the coop. Smart move. We didn't have our chickens last year for more than two days and something tried to dig under the hardware cloth. I'm glad I buried it a foot down and out.

I've had chicks shipped to Colorado from Texas and from Pennsylvania. If they ship on Wednesday they are always waiting for me at the post office as early as it opens on Friday. If you haven't done this before, be sure to have the brooder set up to the proper heat and your waterer ready with room temperature water. If you can get some chick saver to add to the water I recommend it but a bit of sugar is better than nothing. As you lift each chick out of the shipping box, take a second to dip its little beak in the water and wait to see it take that second drink. Shipping is hard on the little babies and getting water into them the second they arrive will help them recover from the ordeal. I don't know how many you ordered but by the time you get the eighth or ninth chick drinking, the first one is wandering off in search of food.

 

[1300dollaregg]

I've had chicks shipped to Colorado from Texas and from Pennsylvania. If they ship on Wednesday they are always waiting for me at the post office as early as it opens on Friday.  If you haven't done this before, be sure to have the brooder set up to the proper heat and your waterer ready with room temperature water.  If you can get some chick saver to add to the water I recommend it but a bit of sugar is better than nothing.  As you lift each chick out of the shipping box, take a second to dip its little beak in the water and wait to see it take that second drink.  Shipping is hard on the little babies and getting water into them the second they arrive will help them recover from the ordeal.  I don't know how many you ordered but by the time you get the eighth or ninth chick drinking, the first one is wandering off in search of food.

Thank you for your advice. The two chicks I ordered could be anywhere from four to nine weeks old. They should be here in the morning. I'll make sure to get them water immediately.

 

[1300dollaregg]

My coop is a tractor so it's movable. We couldn't bury the wire so I decided to do the blocks and will just move them too when I move the coop. We have way too many raccoons so I didn't want to take a chance with my girls. I'd love to see a picture of your chicks.

 

[1300dollaregg]

The new chicks arrived this morning.My other chickens were not happy with their presence. They've finally calmed down and are tolerating their new neighbors.