Baby Chicks Arrived!

[Enchanted1s]

QUESTION! Is it time to throw them out?? They will be 8 weeks this Tuesday.

We do not have a garage - or any out building that has electricity. I would have to run extension cords to have power. AND, we live very close to the railroad. I am concerned that the trains may cause the extension cord to come unplugged during the night (it has happened during the day - bigger trains at night). I am in the process of building a new coop for the babies, but it is NOT close to done.

What should I do ? I have plenty of cages and plenty of outdoor space. My outdoor flock (1 Rooster, 1 Hen, & 2 Pullets) have been allowed to see but not touch during the day for a week or more now. Some days they come and drink the babies water and sit with them for a bit - some days they don't. The flock has free range during the day. There is room for a cage in the flocks run, but it is completely covered and gets zero sun. I have been thinking perhaps I could make them a temporary coop in an area that would be draft free for night time and move them to a cage in the sun during the day - but I am still worried that they would be too cold. Am I going to have to keep them in my grow room until spring? They weigh 19 to 21 oz each - & only the three of them.

Since they have been in the house - their bed time has been 8:30pm. Just this week, I started taking their food away at bed time. BUT, in the outdoor world - the flock goes in their run at about 4:30ish and we lock them in their coop about 5pm. Is that too long for the babies to be without food/water (13-14 hours)?

 

[21hens-incharge]

Not to long at all for them without food/water.

Are you still using supplemental heat? They need weaned off it if you have been.
If so they might be cold at night. What have your overnight temps been like?

We are still getting pretty cold here at 7 degrees some nights. I know there is more cold to come.

They are big enough but not having been acclimated to cold I would keep in mind that a dive in temps to much below 50 will be very hard on them. Keep the set up ready in case they need brought back in.

 

[deepbluesea]

I like this thread! It makes me happy that you came to chicken-raising so serendipitously; that's how I got all of my mammals, the chickens I got on purpose.

What 21hens said: they're plenty old enough to get kicked out, but since they're acclimated to supplemental heat, they need to weaned off of it so their systems can adjust. They're adorable btw!

 

[Enchanted1s]

We couldn't do it! I got everything all set up for them to be out tonight, but could not do it!

@21hens-incharge They have been off of their heat plate completely for over a week. They have never felt temps below 45 degrees. They go outside as soon as the temps are above freezing (about 11am) until the flock goes in their run (about 4:30). Then, they play 'Follow Mom" back to the house and into their playpen, in my grow room! I have tried to lower the temps in the plant room, but without much success. It is 68 degrees in there at night. I pump cold air from outside - in once an hour to recirculate the air. Our temps at night have been in the 20's - a few nights have dipped to teens. It has not been above freezing at night here for several weeks.

I have a cage set up and in the run with the big girls. There is not room in the coop for the babies to sleep with the big ones. Their sleeping coop is only about 30 inches square. But, I set up a wire cage with insulation from drafts, 4 inches of pine shavings on the bottom - but I don't think they should go from 68 degree nights to 22 degree nights??? Couldn't do it!

Here's the cage I put together. It is a wire cage - with a cloth/foam dog house inside. Between the two is a layer of cardboard insulation backed with roofing tin for blocking the wind and further insulation. I put a wood boarder at the base to keep everything square and hold the deep layer of pine shavings. It is sitting empty there in the corner of the run.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I agree best to hold off.

Spring will be here soon.

 

[Enchanted1s]

Our babies were 8 weeks on Tuesday! They are getting so big! Still taking them outside once the temps are above 40 until the sun goes down.

Gracey still the heaviest at 24oz


Buffey 23oz


LittleBit 22 oz - still the lightest.


Everyone getting to know each other.


It's been in the teens at night. By blowing cold air into the grow room at night - I still am only able to get it down to about 66 degrees. Any colder and it makes the furnace run more! Can't afford that! I am going to get their coop done before spring!! I can't get anything accomplished in the cold either, so I don't get started until after the babies are out. I have had 10 major spine surgeries, leaving me with a mostly titanium spine. When that titanium gets cold - I am done! But, really hoping to get the back wall up soon.

 

[Enchanted1s]

Oh My! Guess what I found when I went to shut the light off in the grow room! I have been making their bedtime earlier as they get older. It was time for lights out, I open the door and see Little Bit on TOP of the PlayPen. I start to have a talk with her and notice she keeps lookin up. My response - ' oh my! Honey - GET THE CAMERA!' About the time we got a camera in there, Little Bit joined Gracey up there! I was happy to learn that both Gracey and Little Bit where happy to come down! BTW - Buffey stayed in the PlayPen

Today, I am building a hardware cloth top for the playpen!

 

[Elmochook]

Oh My! Guess what I found when I went to shut the light off in the grow room! I have been making their bedtime earlier as they get older. It was time for lights out, I open the door and see Little Bit on TOP of the PlayPen. I start to have a talk with her and notice she keeps lookin up. My response - ' oh my! Honey - GET THE CAMERA!' About the time we got a camera in there, Little Bit joined Gracey up there! I was happy to learn that both Gracey and Little Bit where happy to come down! BTW - Buffey stayed in the PlayPen

Today, I am building a hardware cloth top for the playpen!

Lol crazy chooks!

I sold 6 of my 12 babies and omg my baby flock is SOOO MUCH happier! 12 was too many. They were devouring a bowl of food like this in less than an hour.

 

[Enchanted1s]

Lol crazy chooks!

I sold 6 of my 12 babies and omg my baby flock is SOOO MUCH happier! 12 was too many. They were devouring a bowl of food like this in less than an hour.

She is very pretty. I sure wish I could put them outside for good. Getting down in the teens at night and they have never felt colder than 40.

I am SOOOO glad we only ordered three!! That will be 7 when they are all together, and that is enough - for now.

 

[Elmochook]

Thats actually my rooster. He is a looker though.

Im blessed to live in TX so our winters are super mild.