Bringing four week old chicks home

[First time chickie-poo]

My son-in-law has been caring for my 6 four week old chicks together with his 14 four week old chicks at his house while my husband and I finish building our coop and run. He has them all in his coop in a brooder that I feel is too small now. Our coop will be about 40 square feet of space. I’m wondering if I need to section a brooding space or if I can allow them full range of the coop with either a heat mat cave or heating plate? They are used to an heat lamp but I do not want to use one. Any advice is welcome! I don’t want to frighten them to death but feel they need to get out of the too tight brooder in my sil’s coop.

 

[DemeterAD9]

By 4 week they are nearly fully feathered and ready for being kicked outside. They will huddle together for warmth at night. If your weather is still cold at night then a heat source wouldn’t be a bad idea. If they are indoors they don’t need heat at all by even 3 weeks, especially with so many to keep each other warm. It is best to wean chicks off of heat by raising the heat lamp every few days, or as they say reduce the heat by 5 degrees every week after hatch. I use a brooder plate and by 3 weeks I unplug it, by 4-5 weeks they are outside depending on how they look.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Hi, welcome to the forum! Glad you joined!

Where are you? My interest is in your overnight lows. Your general location can be important for a lot of different reasons. If you plan on staying active on this forum you might modify your profile so that information is always available.

They are probably ready to do without heat but if you can safely set up a warm spot it won't hurt anything. If they need it they will use it. Let them have the full 40 square feet. My chicks straight from the incubator can manage warm and cold places in my 18 square feet brooder. Yours can handle what you have.

 

[First time chickie-poo]

Hi, welcome to the forum! Glad you joined!

Where are you? My interest is in your overnight lows. Your general location can be important for a lot of different reasons. If you plan on staying active on this forum you might modify your profile so that information is always available.

They are probably ready to do without heat but if you can safely set up a warm spot it won't hurt anything. If they need it they will use it. Let them have the full 40 square feet. My chicks straight from the incubator can manage warm and cold places in my 18 square feet brooder. Yours can handle what you have.

Thank you for your response! I’m in mid Michigan so lows can easily still be in the mid 30s to upper 40s.