Rowdy chicks

[slipshift]

We just hatched 6 chicks in our incubator and all seemed pretty healthy. When the hens hatched eggs they would have the chicks running through the woods the first or second day so we decided to take our 4 day old chick out for a "walk" in the chicken pen. The first day they just practiced their "flutter", the second day they were getting airborne. Now, if we don't take them out on time they start raising hell in the brooder. I'm really surprised how fast these chick grew wing and tail feathers, maybe it was fresh air and sunshine. Anyway, I built them their own apartment in the coop with a fully enclosed private yard. They should move out tomorrow after I check the temperature under the heat lamp. We used to keep chicks in the brooder for a month but now I don't think that is necessary. Excuse my rambling, I'm just so proud of them.




Jim

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Chicks that get outside early seem to thrive more than brooder chicks, mine always get out as soon as weather permits, chicks are a bit hardier than thought, I learned this watching hens raising chicks, the chicks are always out and about after the first week, hardly ever under mom.

 

[slipshift]

Six days old and they love being outside. They have a heat lamp inside their condo but tonight they are all huddled together in a corner of their yard. There is a straw base inside the condo and I'm thinking they don't like it, if so I'll take out the straw and put in some wood chips. They're more familiar with it. It's starting to get dark so if they are still in the yard I'll put another heat lamp over them.

Jim

 

[slipshift]

Woke up with a start at 3:00 am, 70 deg. outside. I thought if the chicks didn't make use of the heat lamp they would all be dead of hypothermia. When I went out to check them they were all wide awake, chasing bugs and each other in their yard. Definitely outdoor chicks, the days we took them for a "walk" in the coop they would come back into their brooder and sleep for an hour, all sprawled out like they are dead. The entire time in the coop was spent chasing bugs and trying out their wings so I guess they exhausted themselves.

Jim

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I used to worry about everything until you watch a mama chicken raise her chicks and you realize how seldom they are under her for warmth and how much they run around with no feathers on, you sound like you have the perfect set up, it also helps to brood when it's warmer out, I never get chicks before June, I'm done with giving them any extra heat in about three weeks, then I integrate them into the flock at 6-8 weeks.