Bad chick or bored? Name help.

[JuJubeann]

That'll work, it's how I got my latest batch of chick grit.

Hopefully you have greatly enlarged your chicken housing before you got these chicks?

Yes, I did and I'll try to explain the way I have it set up. My first coop and run are exactly the same size. I followed the advice of people who sell the premade type. By the time my chick's were 5 or 6 months I realized space was an issue and gave 2 away keeping 3. The run for them is 3x3x5. That puts it around waist high and the coop sits on top and is 3x4x5. We've built two more runs with one being the same size and the other is 3x3x7. All of these are connected in a U shape. But put many doors to open and close inside the mini-runs until we're sure they get along or if one needs a time out. All of the mini-runs are connected to a community-run that's 10x20. I have time to let them all take turns during the day in the community-run until they are all getting along well. For the coops, we're building a what I call a village. Presently, we only have 2 completed. The second one is rather small but it will be the smallest. It's 2x4x3. We have two more planned which are 3x4x4 and 3x3x4. I'll post some pics of the two I have already built. If I see I can't keep them all my cousin has a huge place with lots of chickens and she is willing to take them.We have all the materials for the coops but the weather (rain) and my hubby's work has kept us from getting them completed for a month. He only has about 1.5 hours before dark to work and set up and tear down takes around 30 minutes of that.

 

[JuJubeann]

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[JuJubeann]

This was best picture I could find of my first coop. Hopefully I didn't delete them and I'm just overlooking them.

 

[aart]

Many small coops would drive me nuts, I like em all in one big one that I can split with temp wall of wire and wood for integration...I do have 2 runs tho.

 

[JuJubeann]

Welcome to BYC.  I glanced through the posts to get the gist of what folks are saying, but did not read word for word.  Just some thoughts.  Are the chicks completely off heat?  Does your schedule allow you to take them outside?  If your coop and run are completed, I'd stick them in that every day.  But, at this age, you're gonna want that run covered.  If the rest of the chicks in that brood look like your little tyrant, they are plenty well feathered enough to move outside.  I live in Maine,  At that stage of feathering, my chicks would be completely weaned off from heat. (I use a heating pad cave and brood them right outside)  they would be working on integrating with my adult flock.  The temps at which I have chicks of that age in the spring range from 20 - 40 at night, and 40 - 60 during the day.  You can give them a huddle box to snuggle in at night, but don't let them use the nest boxes for that purpose.  Do a subject search for "huddle box".  For your younger set, the more room they have, the better.  I like to give my chicks 2 - 4 s.f. per bird by the time they are 3 weeks old.  It prevents a lot of behavioral problems and helps their development.  They will also benefit from a plug of sod from your yard, starting in the first week.  But be sure that sod has not been treated with any insecticides or herbicides.

They aren't completely off heat yet. The weather for Georgia is crazy in the winter. It was 26 Sunday and in the 60's Monday. It's suppose to be in the 80's by Wednesday and the raining spells. After reading about respiratory problems with birds I was worry of giving them 'colds' from such drastic temperature changes. I've kept them inside where I can monitor the temp. I've kept them under a red heat lamp attached to a symbols stand so I could raise it up and down as needed. I keep the house around 68 to 70 year round and I keep light close to 5 ft up from them only in one corner of the brooder. Dear Lord, I hope you all aren't laughing at me. I'm feeling like an overprotective mother at the moment.

I do take them out on warmer days and I have plenty of time to do that. When you say put them outside everyday do mean bring them in at night? The runs are covered and 3 sides wrapped. One side is open. I'm going to put them in the coop today but I'll bring them inside before dark and start to wean them off the heat lamp. If I had been able to find a heating pad without an automatic shutoff I would have put them in the coop sooner. Any suggestions on which one to buy? I'll just order one for my smaller chick's and their coop will be completed this weekend. I've already added garden soil to each of my coops to inoculate the ecosystem in the soil. I did my first organic garden this past year in raised beds so I was prepared for that ahead of time. Woot, I finally got one...lol

Thank you all for the advice everyone has given. It is appreciated so much and I'll get busy making corrections to some of these things. They aren't even outside yet and I'm having separation anxiety. I think I'll cook them that spaghetti first it's lunch time. lol I'll search huddle box real fast and get them one. My first chickens didn't like their nesting boxes and I finally took them out and replaced them with 1 round pan. It's made of rubber and they seem happy with it and take turns. I was planning on doing the same with my new chicks.

 

[lazy gardener]

Quote: They should be completely off heat now. Keeping them on heat is going to make it that much harder for them to acclimate to living outdoors. You could put them outside all day, every day, and just bring them inside for a few nights. Then, they should be fine to move outside full time with the huddle box. They absolutely DO NOT need any extra heat in your house. They are wearing down jackets. Heating pad:
Sunbeam XpressHeat Heating Pad

by
Sunbeam


ITEM#: 16175542
Mattress Pads & Covers

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ignore the vertical text to the left. Can't get rid of it.

 

[JuJubeann]

They should be completely off heat now. Keeping them on heat is going to make it that much harder for them to acclimate to living outdoors. You could put them outside all day, every day, and just bring them inside for a few nights. Then, they should be fine to move outside full time with the huddle box. They absolutely DO NOT need any extra heat in your house. They are wearing down jackets. Heating pad: [COLOR=333333]
Sunbeam XpressHeat Heating Pad

by
[COLOR=8200FF]Sunbeam[/COLOR]

[COLOR=333333]ITEM#: 16175542[/COLOR]
Mattress Pads & Covers

[/COLOR] [COLOR=333333]

​

[/COLOR] ignore the vertical text to the left. Can't get rid of it.

Ok, no more heat and outside. Will bring them in tonight and tomorrow after that outside. Thanks again, I feel more confident about putting them outside now. I'll order a heating pad for the others today and maybe it will be here by the weekend at least early next week.

 

[lazy gardener]

There is a larger model available. You'll want to read blooie's article and some of her thread on Heating pad brooding to find out how to set it up.

Mama Heating Pad in the Brooder (Picture Heavy) - UPDATE

Article] Yes, You Certainly Can Brood Chicks Outdoors

 

[JuJubeann]

Well, they're outside and happy. The colors are so much prettier outside. I decided to test out how they would react to one of my 2 wk old araucanas. They got along fine the whole time but I was present. I'm going to put the little ones in the run tomorrow with them and watch for a bit. If everything works out may move them sooner than planned to their coop.

The spaghetti was a big hit with my bantam and araucanas. They played keep away for quite some time. The araucanas were hysterical. The move so fast and they're so tiny and run in reverse. lol thank you guys for all the advice! <3