Australia - Six states..and that funny little island.

[MyHaven]

Question When are my chicks ready for the coop? They are 4+weeks and are spending the days outside (it's been around 30 most days) then in the brooder at night (lows of around 20). They are not sleeping right under the light but are still not that far away from it. Any suggestions?

My current bubs went out at 4weeks. I would say as long as your coop is secure enough, they are feathered, and you feel comfortable they'd be fine.

 

[mooandmcgee]

When I say ' feathered in ' I mean covered. Don't wait for hard feathers.

Poor little Carla still has a couple of bald patches on her neck but other then that they are all fully covered and are all starting to get their bigger hard feathers. Looks like our little babies are ready and so I'll just have to put the final touches on the run and they will be out there this weekend.

 

[mooandmcgee]

My current bubs went out at 4weeks. I would say as long as your coop is secure enough, they are feathered, and you feel comfortable they'd be fine.

Ok will finish the run and they will be out there.

 

[sjturner79]

2 trying to sleep in nests today, so they went back into the trolley for the night.

 

[Fancychooklady]

Poor little Carla still has a couple of bald patches on her neck but other then that they are all fully covered and are all starting to get their bigger hard feathers. Looks like our little babies are ready and so I'll just have to put the final touches on the run and they will be out there this weekend.

a
Oh Hun , don't rush it if your not comfortable with it. I know the first lot of chicks I incubated kept me up all night , checking to make sure no one had rolled out into the cold. Make sure there is no deep water dishes around for them to drown in and lock them in if you can.
Carla is a ' special ' case so it won't matter if you put it off another week. Just means another week of cleaning the brooder.

 

[mooandmcgee]

a
Oh Hun , don't rush it if your not comfortable with it. I know the first lot of chicks I incubated kept me up all night , checking to make sure no one had rolled out into the cold. Make sure there is no deep water dishes around for them to drown in and lock them in if you can.
Carla is a ' special ' case so it won't matter if you put it off another week. Just means another week of cleaning the brooder.

Hahaha!! Yes Carla is a little bit "special" LOL!! At times I think I'm a bit "special"

Thanks for your support. xx

 

[LuckysMum]

I had two pigeons/doves in mine.... They tried to fly away, but the whole thing is meshed so they just flew into the mesh. Of course, being wild, they didn't trust me and my stupid dog ran in there and chased them (I'd opened the door for them to fly out). Eventually I caught them and let them out. One had a few scratches on the back of her neck, but they weren't actively bleeding, so I thought it better to let her go than try to do anything about it. It was stressful for them and stressful for me...

I need to put something over the gate, I think they can go in where it curves at the top edges. They can figure out to go in, but not how to go back out again. Another job.

We get pigeons all the time we have a small door for the chooks to get in an out of the run/coop the pigeons walk through the door but haven't worked out walking back out. Stupid things.
So I have to open the human door they still have a problem I nearly have to chase them out.

 

[User395221]

the pigeons walk through the door

There's no door for these ones, they are sneaking in a gap somewhere...silly little things. They are quite nice birds, but I don't want wild birds in there, they might have lurgies.

 

[satay]

They only have feathers on their wings at the moment. Still only fluffy bodies. I might leave it a couple weeks and then put them out. I don't think I'm ready.

My marans and quails from my last hatch are out on the grass full time at 2 weeks they are doing fine. It's hotter here during the day yesterday was 37c but cooler at nights current temp at the moment it 14c.

 

[satay]

Hahaha!! Yes Carla is a little bit "special" LOL!! At times I think I'm a bit "special"

Thanks for your support. xx

I am sure i kept mine in the brooder til about 8 weeks the first time I incubated. Not so now though . 2 weeks they are out full time unless it's winter then they stay til 3 weeks and we get well into the minuses overnight in winter.