Are these chicks old enough to go outside?

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Unless you know how to give them water via dropper or any other “forced” method be very careful. You may actually kill them. One method that is safe and the way I do it is with a dropper or kids plastic medication syringe with a closed beak put the tip of the dropper at the seam where upper and lower beak meet. Push water slowly and you’ll see water flow down the seam. The chicken will then swallow on her own.
 
FowlWitch said:
Hatching eggs from eBay. None of the chicks hatched out from my flock got sick, only the eBay chicks. I lost 2 more today, but the Svart Hona's appetite is back, so I think she'll be okay. Oh also, all of the eBay eggs came with Npip certification.
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NPIP doesn't mean diddly. Just means they tested negative for PT in most states and PT hasn't been around in ages.
 
tayjamieson said:
I would keep them indoors until they are about the size of a kick ball (I know that's random but I can't remember what exact week I put mine outside and they did amazing). I'm sure someone else will comment and let you know a for sure age range in weeks.

When they are that little they truly need those consistent high temperatures in order to survive and develop into healthy happy chickens. Also for their safety it's good to keep chicks together away from any threats such as other animals, predators, etc. I included a chart that displays temperature needs based on age in weeks. May I ask what the reason is behind you wanting to move them outdoors quickly?

I don't know if you have older chickens out in your coop, but it's worth mentioning if you do that they will more than likely peck/bully the new chicks (pecking order establishment) and when the chicks are that young and still developing it can cause injuries, brain damage, or even death. They are super fragile when they are small so if you can hang in there until they have the required survival capabilities and skills that would be in the best interest of your sweet babies. View attachment 1833932
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I set up a sub-brooder in the coop to keep them separate from the older chicks. The older chicks are skittish but curious. I'm monitoring to make sure they aren't bullying the younger ones, but I think the new brooder is tall enough to keep them away from the younger ones. I also gave them their own food and water to reduce competition.
 
aart said:
How much older?
How will you keep them separate?
How big is your coop?
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Older chicks are about 2.5 weeks older, and the coop is 4 feet by 4 feet. I want to move them because I think they're stressing some weaker chicks that aren't growing as well as these 7. I just took a dead chick for a necropsy to figure out the issue, but the runts need to be kept away from the more robust chicks so I can monitor their health better. I'd keep the second brooder indoors if I had the space.
 
FowlWitch said:
I'll keep that in mind.
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I highly recommend researching anyone you buy eggs from in the future.
I personally would never buy from EBay unless they were a member here on BYC and I was able to see they did indeed have a healthy flock.

There are shady people out there willing to sell anything to make a buck.

This doesn't just go for EBay...there are some of these types her on BYC too.
 

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