At what age should you move chicks to the coop?

[piyo]

My 12-day old RiR hen chicks are already almost able to fly out of their brooder. They can already perch on top of their waterer and the brooder plate. I use a big 40-gallon tub as their brooder. I'm afraid they will become too big and flighty for the brooder soon. But I feel like they are still too small for the outside coop (the weather is also too cold for them). What do you guys do during this 'in between' period where they are able to fly/escape, but they are still too small for the outside coop?

 

[azygous]

Are these chicks your entire flock? Without adults to manage, chicks can be brooded in the coop or run from day one with the proper heat setup. Even with adults, chicks can be brooded in proximity to them from the start. It's how many of us manage chicks.

 

[Ridgerunner]

My brooder is in the coop and I provide heat out there from Day 1. I'm not sure what your situation out there is. But many people build covers out of chicken wire or hardware cloth to fit over their indoor brooders to keep the chicks in.

 

[My Three Chicks]

Hi again @piyo! Not sure if this would work for you but when I 1st had the girls they were my 1st batch and I didn't realize how quickly they'd outgrown the little brooder I had either!
I had this pop up pen I bought which I was going to use for when I 1st introduced them to the outside work and they started getting short outside time (our coop and run were still in transit!).
It ended up working out as a great brooder extension!
They come in different sizes. This one was great because I could get in there and sit with them too! And zip up the top to keep them in and easy to fold up and put away. At bedtime I'd fold it in half...they loved to perch on the edge of their brooder to roost (so cute).

 

[piyo]

Are these chicks your entire flock? Without adults to manage, chicks can be brooded in the coop or run from day one with the proper heat setup. Even with adults, chicks can be brooded in proximity to them from the start. It's how many of us manage chicks.

@azygous Yes this is my entire flock. I worry about raising in the outside coop because the weather is still not hot enough. I have an open back porch but no plugs nearby to use a heat lamp. So I have been raising the chicks in the brooder in my garage instead.

My brooder is in the coop and I provide heat out there from Day 1. I'm not sure what your situation out there is. But many people build covers out of chicken wire or hardware cloth to fit over their indoor brooders to keep the chicks in.

@Ridgerunner Yes I have a wire cover over my tub, but every time I lift it to clean it out, they chics are ready to fly out. I clean out the brooder every day and I always get worried every time I do so….

Hi again @piyo! Not sure if this would work for you but when I 1st had the girls they were my 1st batch and I didn't realize how quickly they'd outgrown the little brooder I had either!
I had this pop up pen I bought which I was going to use for when I 1st introduced them to the outside work and they started getting short outside time (our coop and run were still in transit!).
It ended up working out as a great brooder extension!
They come in different sizes. This one was great because I could get in there and sit with them too! And zip up the top to keep them in and easy to fold up and put away. At bedtime I'd fold it in half...they loved to perch on the edge of their brooder to roost (so cute).

@My Three Chicks Wow this is great! Do you have issues cleaning it? How do you clean it? Mine poop so much in so little time, I clean out the brooder every single day and put fresh pine shavings in.

 

[My Three Chicks]

@My Three Chicks Wow this is great! Do you have issues cleaning it? How do you clean it? Mine poop so much in so little time, I clean out the brooder every single day and put fresh pine shavings in.

I keep all the pine bedding inside their original brooder (the wooden box on the left of pic). You could keep their food in there too if you want to eliminate that mess.

Then I have a water-resistant picnic blanket under the pen...and pick up poop all day . It's pretty easy to wipe up though. I tried to use puppy peepee pads that I could throw out but one of my girls was pecking at it and I didn't want her to eat it. You could try though.

I've seen pop up pens with bottoms too that would keep the pine bedding in if you want to use pine bedding in that area. But those I've seen are only like 20" tall. This one I have is 36" tall.

Here is link to the one I have.
KEXMY Rural365 Portable Chicken... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HFH3SWD?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

FYI I'm adding 3 baby chicks to flock at the end of March and will use the same method.

 

[3KillerBs]

If you have means of getting electric to your coop -- even an extension cord -- so that you can have heat in the coop then you can probably brood outdoors in the coop.

Where are you located? Climate matters.

 

[azygous]

What is your location? What are your day and night temps?

 

[piyo]

If you have means of getting electric to your coop -- even an extension cord -- so that you can have heat in the coop then you can probably brood outdoors in the coop.

Where are you located? Climate matters.

What is your location? What are your day and night temps?

@3KillerBs @azygous I am in the southeastern US. Temps right now have gotten down to the 30s/40s some nights. Highs have been in the mid 70s during the day.

 

[3KillerBs]

@3KillerBs @azygous I am in the southeastern US. Temps right now have gotten down to the 30s/40s some nights. Highs have been in the mid 70s during the day.

I'm in central NC and I have chicks in my outdoor brooder right now -- two weeks old, so they started during the cold snap with dual heat for extra insurance, but just the brooder plate now.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-flock-story-2023.1561640/

You can see them here.