Stage2 brooder - different age/size chicks

[mrrossi]

Hi all

I currently have 6 chicks (Rhode Island Reds) in a stage 1 brooder (tote box and Brinsea heater).

5 of the chicks were hatched 13, 12 and 11 days ago. You can actually see the size difference.

The 6th chick (the "8th egg" - two failed in early incubation) is only 4 days old. I really didn't expect it to hatch - it was a 'spare' egg; we only had room for 7 in the incubator but after 2 early failures (ring of death after candling around a week in) decided to try the 8th, even though it hadn't been stored at the optimal temperature (weather had been unseasonably warm). However, she hatched successfully and seems in great health!

Anyway, we successfully introduced "Violet" to the brooder in a separate partition, so she could access food/water without being trampled by the others. It seems she escaped this partition (so much for my craft skills!!) after 24 hours but seems fine, albeit rather small compared to the rest.

They're all a bit boisterous and jumping around all over the place and it seems tight on space; hard to keep it clean too (using sand but still finding it hard to keep sanitary) think it may be good to move some to a Stage 2 brooder pretty soon. I believe they can usually go to a Stage 2 after 2-3 weeks...?

With Violet being much younger and the 11 day old ones being physically smaller than the 3 "eldest", I was thinking of moving the 3 largest to the Stage 2 brooder and keeping the smallest in the small brooder for another week. Problem is, I only have the one heater...

What's the earliest I could move them all to the Stage 2 brooder do you think, given Violet is 9 days younger than the eldest?

Many thanks!
Ross

 

[NatJ]

What do you consider a stage 2 brooder to be? How is it different than your stage 1 brooder?

If the only difference is the amount of space, then you can move all the chicks to a bigger brooder at any time, and keep using the same heater and feeder and waterer. More space to run around is not a problem after chicks are a few days old (once they have gotten steady on their feet and good at running around.)

 

[rosemarythyme]

Not sure what stage 1 & 2 either but photos of your set up & measurements can help.

I give my chicks more space than most at the start, like 2 sq ft per chick (which is the minimum recommendation for 8 week olds). So as long as the brooding area isn't so huge to the point that chicks can get completely lost and not find their way back to the heat source, even 2-to-3-day-old chicks can learn to navigate through open space just fine.

By 2 weeks old my chicks have full access to 525 sq ft of coop and run.

 

[mrrossi]

Thanks guys. Without measuring exactly, I'd say my stage 1 brooder (plastic tote box) is around 2 square feet and my stage 2 brooder (pet pen, not set up just yet) would be around 6 square feet so sounds like I'm probably fine to move to that now - 'violet' seems pretty steady on her feet, and although she stays under the brooder more than the others, she still has a good run about when I come say hello

 

[NatJ]

Thanks guys. Without measuring exactly, I'd say my stage 1 brooder (plastic tote box) is around 2 square feet and my stage 2 brooder (pet pen, not set up just yet) would be around 6 square feet so sounds like I'm probably fine to move to that now - 'violet' seems pretty steady on her feet, and although she stays under the brooder more than the others, she still has a good run about when I come say hello

Yes, that should be fine. They should all appreciate the extra space!