3 Little Stinkers Flew the Brooder

[Sapphire Sebright]

So my 6 little chicks, 2 days shy of 4 weeks have been outside all day for the last 3 days as we've been starting integration. Our 3 big girls have been very interested, to say the least and spend all day circling their isolation pen.

Well, went to collect them in this evening only to find two little roos and one of the pullets begging to be let back in with their siblings!

The big girls were absolutely indifferent and I have no idea how long those sneaky bubs were out free in the run. I think I'd last checked in on them a few hours before.

So integrated?? My run is a bit patchy at the moment so wasn't planning on properly loose them together till we move out to the lifestyle block and I have their new accommodation sorted, which happens at the end of the month, but looks like some supervised mingling may be in order now XD

Nobody was hurt.. had a sit down with them in the laundry room by the brooder and they were trilling happily while climbing all over me, whole incident forgotten.

We brood our chicks in repurposed, large, cardboard boxes. This works perfectly until the little ones start to fledge -- I've been woken up several times by escaped chicks running around the kitchen as they cheep at the top of their lungs because they can't find their siblings.
We start covering the box after the first incident or two, but they still manage to escape sometimes.
I guess that chicks are like children -- they will get out of places and into other places despite precautions, and you will have no idea how on earth they managed to do so.

 

[Lizzy733]

We brood our chicks in repurposed, large, cardboard boxes. This works perfectly until the little ones start to fledge -- I've been woken up several times by escaped chicks running around the kitchen as they cheep at the top of their lungs because they can't find their siblings.
We start covering the box after the first incident or two, but they still manage to escape sometimes.
I guess that chicks are like children -- they will get out of places and into other places despite precautions, and you will have no idea how on earth they managed to do so.

Bit of a misleading title, they actually escaped see but don't touch jail (which is a bit longer Ng for a title) and were mingling with the big girls, not the brooder specifically.

They've been brooded in a fabric puppy play pen - no escaping onea those. If it can keep in a feral cat, it can keep in a flock of witty chicks.

 

[Lizzy733]

Okay, now they've not only figured out how to work the treadle with teamwork, but also figured out there's tasty layer ration in there.

I think I'm doomed.

So far they want nothing to do with the raised coop, though they've figured out how to climb up to the porch. I'd lock them in during the day, but my girls lay odd hours so not sure how well that'd go over.

They get really antsy if they 'don't' get run time now. Had to keep them in a day over the weekend due to a brutal storm and they were miserable in the brooder.

 

[3KillerBs]

Okay, now they've not only figured out how to work the treadle with teamwork, but also figured out there's tasty layer ration in there.

I think I'm doomed.

So far they want nothing to do with the raised coop, though they've figured out how to climb up to the porch. I'd lock them in during the day, but my girls lay odd hours so not sure how well that'd go over.

They get really antsy if they 'don't' get run time now. Had to keep them in a day over the weekend due to a brutal storm and they were miserable in the brooder.

The definition of "nasty storm" is rather variable. What does that mean in your area?

If they're fully-feathered, have shelter available that the adults don't chase them out of, and know how to get into that shelter you can allow them to choose how wet they want to be -- just checking now and then to see if they're showing any signs of being chilled.

 

[Lizzy733]

The definition of "nasty storm" is rather variable. What does that mean in your area?

If they're fully-feathered, have shelter available that the adults don't chase them out of, and know how to get into that shelter you can allow them to choose how wet they want to be -- just checking now and then to see if they're showing any signs of being chilled.

They're coming up on 5 weeks now, but were closer to 4 weeks at the time. My orpington boy is still pretty bare in places, even now.

Nasty storm meant heavy sideways rain and persistent wind gusts. They've gotten up to 90kph here before and they were to the point you worry they'll lift a tramp and can sometimes rattle the house on its foundation.

Their shelter was covered (1200x600 plywood over top), but not very wind sheltered being in the center of the run. Aside from the plant cover of a weedy marjoram and chicken thyme, the rain was getting to them. Also it had been sunshine every day leading up, so was quite a drastic shift.

I put them out when it was just medium straight rain in the morning, but when the wind kicked up and it turned horizontal, I popped on my raincoat and found them all huddled under the wedge of one if the main coop ramps, barely covered and shivering. Didn't want to risk them getting sick and the big girls weren't about to let them any closer under the coop at the time, which is their usual storm shelter.

If it was one or the other, I'd have left them to their own devices, but I felt both was a bit too much for my gawky 4+ week olds at the time.

 

[3KillerBs]

They're coming up on 5 weeks now, but were closer to 4 weeks at the time. My orpington boy is still pretty bare in places, even now.

Nasty storm meant heavy sideways rain and persistent wind gusts. They've gotten up to 90kph here before and they were to the point you worry they'll lift a tramp and can sometimes rattle the house on its foundation.

Their shelter was covered (1200x600 plywood over top), but not very wind sheltered being in the center of the run. Aside from the plant cover of a weedy marjoram and chicken thyme, the rain was getting to them. Also it had been sunshine every day leading up, so was quite a drastic shift.

I put them out when it was just medium straight rain in the morning, but when the wind kicked up and it turned horizontal, I popped on my raincoat and found them all huddled under the wedge of one if the main coop ramps, barely covered and shivering. Didn't want to risk them getting sick and the big girls weren't about to let them any closer under the coop at the time, which is their usual storm shelter.

If it was one or the other, I'd have left them to their own devices, but I felt both was a bit too much for my gawky 4+ week olds at the time.

That's a pretty serious storm there for sure.

My Langshan boy was slow-feathering like that too. I had to keep heat on an extra 10 days past when the others were ready to keep him in good shape.

 

[Lizzy733]

Had to swap to grower earlier than expected...

They've just had their first night in the coop and decided to have breakfast at the big girl table.