4 week old chicks are driving me nuts!

[pretty_chicken]

Getting my hands on a coop is my #1 priority these days! I've been checking craigslist everyday, and tried to contact a man who says he builds them, but he hasn't returned my message. Hopefully this weekend I'll get some luck.

 

[mandyplo]

Do you have a husband or son or brother who's good at wood work?

Im 18 and my father and I spent a couple hours after I was out of school for about 3-4 days building a small coop with a run for our backyard.

Only took us a few days, and only cost us 40 $ !!! We now have 2 chickens runnin' around in there happy as can be, But I'm sure you could EASILY build one just a tad bit larger for about 5-6 chickens. Ours could probably hold 4 but my family isn't as crazy about chickens yet as I am, but I'll win them over eventually

We bought some 2x1 wood for the frame of the run and the coop, used Hardware cloth for the run, and went to a store with scrap plywood and spent 2$ a piece on small pieces of plywood for their nest boxes, coop and roosting area inside. AND I had a freakin' blast spending that time with my dad and building that thing. Feel's great afterwards knowing you built it yourself and what you've accomplished!

You should really try it!!

 

[dumb_cluck]

Since it is spring and summer approaching fast, I would put them outside as much as possible. (under supervision of course). They will get cabin fever quickly as they grow because, after all, they are chickens and need to scratch and experiment and play like the dickens.

Chicken raising is not an exact science. Just common sense and a lot of love!

 

[HerbiLady]

I'm thinking once they're well feathered, they'll be good outside

I"m in Michigan and our weather is nuts...but I can't imagine brooding them (even though they're in an RV that we're fixing up outside right now with an electric heater and heat lamp) for much longer than 6 weeks. They just get too bored and they're rowdy and the way I see it, we've got another 3 weeks to get the coop built

I've got two red heat lamps so the minute I determine they've got enough feathers, out they go!

I work during the day four days a week so I"ll probably start putting some of them in the wire rabbit cages I've got outside for awhile on the weekends when it's nice (which it ain't this weekend!!!) I dread the thought of transferring 29 chicks to cages and back again. Ugh! More coop motivation!

Mine are 16 days old now and getting messier by the minute! I've resorted to tossing in a big handful of dried leaves I've got piled up for compost to amuse them somewhat during the day. They shred them to nothingness fairly quickly and peck at all the interesting sticks and whatever else is in there. Not sure how many bugs are in it so I should probably try pulling from the bottom of the pile instead of the top.

 

[Gonda]

I didn't know they weren't supposed to go outside. This is my first experience with chicks, hatched and raised by a hen. The chicks escaped from their enclosed area within their first week, and they were outside with the grownups in a flash. Since then (they're 4 weeks today) they've been outside every day, all day. They go inside at dusk, back to their little space, with the mom. There was one very unfortunate incident last week when I came home from work late, and found one poor little chick on the wrong side of the fence. It had gone through, and couldn't get back into the run. It was a bit traumatized for a few days but mom took good care of it, and it's fine now. They dash outside the minute I open the latch in the coop. I've reinforced the fence all around and I think they're pretty safe now. We've had some rainy, windy days lately, and they go inside if it gets too much. There's no heat lamp issue since they still sit with/under mom at night.

 

[1newchickontheblock]

Quote:
I have the same issues! My 6 standards and 3 silkies take turns escaping each day - the silkies are the hardest to catch, cuz they're the flightiest! My BR is HUGE and oh so mellow, my SS is curious and beautiful, and my EE is always in my business! I'm moving them to my midsize brooder in the garage as soon as I can get someone to help me move it (DH had foot surgery, and can't bear weight - timing!!) - hopefully tomorrow! It's due to be cool here at least thru this week, so the heat lamp will go with them.
LOVE my girls!!