4 week old chicks are driving me nuts!

[pretty_chicken]

I've been taking them out almost every day since they were 4 days old, weather permitting. I think that's why they cause so much trouble in the house!

 

[mark1guy]

My 9 chicks are 4 weeks old today and I moved them to a big brooder box in the hen house. The gables are open in the roof but they are out of the wind and have the heat lamp a foot above their bedding. At night it drops down to 35° - 37° F but the chicks appear to be doing fine.

I boxed in parts of the sides to keep the draft under control.

 

[slickchik]

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Yeah, once they know about being outside, they are incredibly rowdy when cooped up inside... lol...

 

[bigoakhunter]

I always keep mine in brooder inside the house till 3 weeks then they go to outside coop. I keep them in coop with heat lamp till they are about 7 weeks then open the door from coop to run. They seem to do just ifne.

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

mine have been outside (in VERMONT!) since week one.. we've had some snow since... they're in a covered trailer with 3 lights (regular 100 watt bulbs)... they've been totally fine. I turn off 2 of the 3 lights during the day if it gets above 50, leaving a light mostly on the turkey pen inside the trailer, but the other chicks can warm themselves by it too.

 

[mandyplo]

Too cute! I'm thinking of buying some day old chicks and raising them, so far my heart is set on barred rocks

Just wondering, What breed of chicks are your two beige/light brown/almost white ones? They're adoreable!!

 

[justmeandtheflock]

I haven't gotten past 3 weeks in the house and that was with a small batch. They just smell after that no matter how clean I keep the brooder and then there's the dust

Even in well below freezing temps I moved them out to the coop in a cage with heat lamp and they all did just fine. By about 6 weeks I let them out of the cage so they can start working out the pecking order. Once they are fully feathered I took out the lamp and everyone did just fine, even the silkies.

 

[Me & My Peeps]

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And they will love the change of environment. It's good also for them to learn about foraging and eating bugs. Watch them after you put them outside. Within 15 minutes they will be running around playing tag and poking through the grass, looking for something to move.

 

[pretty_chicken]

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The two blacks and whites are barred rocks, the other four are easter eggers. I picked out two darks and two lights, but it seems like they have a new color everyday! It will be interesting to see what they look like when they're grown.

 

[MareeZoCool]

Can you build - or pay someone to build you a coop? - with an attached run? Or even(gasp!) buy a coop/run? What are your temps averaging now? Your young'uns look feathered out in those pictures, if temps are warm I'd get 'em outside now.