Baby Chicks =] so exited

[briank3201991]

So I have been building my coop over the past few weeks and was under the assumption that i was gonna be able to find started pullets a lot easier than i could. So we have decided to go with babys. Cinnamon queens! 25 of them will be ready for me to pick up this saturday. So I plan on making my brooder area outside in the coop with the window shut and everything. Not going to let them get free roam of the 8x12 coop. I got the heat lamp and everything just need to make the section that they will be in.

My question is that with 25 of them how soon will i be expanding the aera for them and then finally letting them roam the whole coop. I know at first not to let them in the run until about 8 weeks, but I am just trying too see when on average they will be fine to run the coop. Thanks for helping out this noobie. This sight has been a great help so far.

 

[sonjab314]

Congrats on getting your babies!! It usually depends on the weather as to when they can run the coop. I wouldnt do it until they are fully feathered and slowly tapered off the heat lamp. Hope this helps to answer your question.

 

[briank3201991]

Well my main question is that with the heat lamp and then a area just for them they should be fine in the coop right? Its really the only place I have thats not in the house.

 

[Gavia]

The coop should be fine if you have a heat lamp. Just be sure to adjust the heat depending on the temperature. Happy for you about the chicks!!! XD

 

[lazy gardener]

Congratulations. You should do just fine brooding them outside. Be sure their bedding is nice and deep. You might want to isolate them in a 5 x 5' area for the first week. Then, you could expand that, and by the end of the second week, let them have the run of the entire coop. If your run is chick proof, you could let them out for supervised excursions in the warm parts of the day. Just beware, they will be very good flyers, and will not have any common sense regarding predator issues for quite some time to come. They will easily fly over any fence from about the age of 2 weeks, and will be at risk of being snagged through the wire if it's chicken wire. Scan their environment carefully, looking for any opportunities they may use to commit suicide. Chicken wire is an offender, with chicks often getting their heads stuck in it. Like any babies, you'll need to watch them carefully until you're sure they have learned where heat and food is, how to use their pop door, etc.

 

[briank3201991]

Well got all the chicks in and boy are the so cute and fun to watch. Only down side so far is two would not eat on its own or get water by itself. Tried everything we could to wetting the crumbles and and giving it to her and helping with the water. We had to run a few errands and came back 2 hours later and it had passed =/ The other one acting that way seems to be doing some what okay. She is definitely smaller than the rest and still does not seem to have a whole lot of energy. Hoping everything goes well through the night with her. All of the other chicks are drinking and eating and sleeping no other lol. I sat in there for an hour and watched them eat/drink/sleep for about 10 minutes and wide open and at it again. Hoping this last one pulls through it was very sad to see the first one when we got home =/ will post a pic of them soon.