Brooder to Coop Timing

Tkboyer007

Chirping
Sep 17, 2021
20
50
71
Hi All,

I’m working my way through the material here on the site - but wanted to ask a question:
My chicks are about 3 weeks old - seem pretty big to me! At about what week should we be thinking of getting them into the coop full time?

Thanks!
 
Do you have full size chickens in the coop, or are these your first? What are the outside temps where you live? As long as it's warm outside, I usually transfer mine outside around 4-5 weeks. More importantly, you'll want to wean them off the heat source in the brooder. Once they are weaned off supplemental heat, you can move them in anytime. Mine always sleep on the floor together when they first go in the coop. You can put them on the roosts every night, to train them to sleep there. Make sure to keep them in the coop/run for a week, or so, and put them in the coop each night. That way, they learn where their home is. It's also a good idea to block off the nest boxes, so they don't start sleeping in there.
 
Do you have full size chickens in the coop, or are these your first? What are the outside temps where you live? As long as it's warm outside, I usually transfer mine outside around 4-5 weeks. More importantly, you'll want to wean them off the heat source in the brooder. Once they are weaned off supplemental heat, you can move them in anytime. Mine always sleep on the floor together when they first go in the coop. You can put them on the roosts every night, to train them to sleep there. Make sure to keep them in the coop/run for a week, or so, and put them in the coop each night. That way, they learn where their home is. It's also a good idea to block off the nest boxes, so they don't start sleeping in there.
Thanks! These are our first and the temps are still warm - central IL. My wife is worried that our coop is too small for the 6 chicks. I’m working off 9 inches of roost per bird so I think it’s ok. When the budget allows I’ll build a bigger coop as I expect we will double our flock size next year.
 
Thanks! These are our first and the temps are still warm - central IL. My wife is worried that our coop is too small for the 6 chicks. I’m working off 9 inches of roost per bird so I think it’s ok. When the budget allows I’ll build a bigger coop as I expect we will double our flock size next year.
Yeah, chicken math gets us all. I started with a pre-fab and 6 birds. My flock of 6 turned into 15, a walk in, shed style coop, and a pond is being dug for ducks next year :D . The rule of thumb is 10-12" of roost, per bird. That said, I have 16' of roost and they only use 9' of it. :confused:. You'll be fine, for now, depending on the size of your breeds. Since their young, they don't need a ton of roost space.
 
Thanks for the reply! The prefab coop we bought has 2 nest boxes and 2 roost bars. There is an open window into the coop - and no closable door. It’s all inside an enclosed run space. Should we be thinking of closing up the window and putting a door to the coop on before winter hits? I worry about the right ventilation…
 
Welcome to the forum from Louisiana, glad you joined.

If you have electricity to the coop you can raise them in the coop from the start, so if you have power out there you can move them any time. Some people don't like to raise them in the house because of the dust, noise, or potential smell. So if you have power out there you have options.

Most chicks are fully feathered at around 4 to 5 weeks. If they are fully feathered they can handle some pretty cold (to us) temperatures. I've had chicks 5-1/2 weeks old go through nights a little below freezing. In summer I've had broody hens wean their chicks at 3 weeks, leaving them to get through nights with lows in the 70's on their own. Those chicks can be a lot tougher than many people imagine.

I hesitate to give a straight age-temperature chart, some other things come into play. If you feed them a high protein chick starter they will feather out faster than if they are eating a low protein feed. If they are exposed to cooler temperatures they feather out faster than if they are kept in tropical heat. Your coop plays a part too. They need good ventilation but you do not want a cold breeze hitting them directly. I don't know enough of your details but I'd consider 4 to 4-1/2 weeks to be a good target. And try turning the brooder heat off of them now and see how they react. If they are in your house they probably don't need any heat now.

If you post photos inside and out of your coop we may be able to better address those questions. And once again, :frow
 
Welcome to BYC.

Your chicks will be ready for their coop when they are fully-feathered and weaned off heat -- unless you provide heat in the coop (brooding outdoors in the coop is great if you can do it!)

My wife is worried that our coop is too small for the 6 chicks. I’m working off 9 inches of roost per bird so I think it’s ok.

I regret to say that if you have a prefab coop it is almost certainly too small for more than 2-3 chickens at best. Some are so small that the ads actually use toy chickens rather than real chickens to make it look larger. :(

Square footage of unobstructed floor space -- not counting the nest boxes -- is the key figure.

The Usual Guidelines

For each adult, standard-sized hen you need:
  • 4 square feet in the coop (.37 square meters)
  • 10 square feet in the run (.93 square meters),
  • 1 linear foot of roost (3 meters),
  • 1/4 of a nest box,
  • And 1 square foot (.09) of permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation, preferably located over the birds' heads when they're sitting on the roost.
A flock of 6 chickens needs:
  • 24 square feet in the coop. 4'x6' is the only really practical build for this given the common dimensions of lumber. If you can't walk into it, put the access door in the middle of the long side to make sure you can reach all areas of the coop because a stubborn chicken WILL press itself into/lay an egg in the back corner where you can't reach.
  • 6 feet of roost
  • 60 square feet in the run. 6'x10' or 8'x8'.
  • 6 square feet of ventilation.
  • 2 nest boxes, to give the hens a choice
Can you show us photos of your coop and run and give us the dimensions?
 
Welcome to the forum from Louisiana, glad you joined.

If you have electricity to the coop you can raise them in the coop from the start, so if you have power out there you can move them any time. Some people don't like to raise them in the house because of the dust, noise, or potential smell. So if you have power out there you have options.

Most chicks are fully feathered at around 4 to 5 weeks. If they are fully feathered they can handle some pretty cold (to us) temperatures. I've had chicks 5-1/2 weeks old go through nights a little below freezing. In summer I've had broody hens wean their chicks at 3 weeks, leaving them to get through nights with lows in the 70's on their own. Those chicks can be a lot tougher than many people imagine.

I hesitate to give a straight age-temperature chart, some other things come into play. If you feed them a high protein chick starter they will feather out faster than if they are eating a low protein feed. If they are exposed to cooler temperatures they feather out faster than if they are kept in tropical heat. Your coop plays a part too. They need good ventilation but you do not want a cold breeze hitting them directly. I don't know enough of your details but I'd consider 4 to 4-1/2 weeks to be a good target. And try turning the brooder heat off of them now and see how they react. If they are in your house they probably don't need any heat now.

If you post photos inside and out of your coop we may be able to better address those questions. And once again, :frow
Best Choice Products 70in Mobile Fir Wood Chicken Coop Tractor Hen House Poultry Cage for 3-5 Hens, Outdoor, Animal Care w/Wheels, 2 Doors, Nest Box, Removable Tray, UV Panel https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08DDHXWRN/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_Q3EWWV07JH4C0ERDY94C

this is the coop I have. I bought it know it would be temporary and our plan is to get a coop that can handle 12 birds.
 
Welcome to BYC.

Your chicks will be ready for their coop when they are fully-feathered and weaned off heat -- unless you provide heat in the coop (brooding outdoors in the coop is great if you can do it!)



I regret to say that if you have a prefab coop it is almost certainly too small for more than 2-3 chickens at best. Some are so small that the ads actually use toy chickens rather than real chickens to make it look larger. :(

Square footage of unobstructed floor space -- not counting the nest boxes -- is the key figure.

The Usual Guidelines

For each adult, standard-sized hen you need:
  • 4 square feet in the coop (.37 square meters)
  • 10 square feet in the run (.93 square meters),
  • 1 linear foot of roost (3 meters),
  • 1/4 of a nest box,
  • And 1 square foot (.09) of permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation, preferably located over the birds' heads when they're sitting on the roost.
A flock of 6 chickens needs:
  • 24 square feet in the coop. 4'x6' is the only really practical build for this given the common dimensions of lumber. If you can't walk into it, put the access door in the middle of the long side to make sure you can reach all areas of the coop because a stubborn chicken WILL press itself into/lay an egg in the back corner where you can't reach.
  • 6 feet of roost
  • 60 square feet in the run. 6'x10' or 8'x8'.
  • 6 square feet of ventilation.
  • 2 nest boxes, to give the hens a choice
Can you show us photos of your coop and run and give us the dimensions?
Best Choice Products 70in Mobile Fir Wood Chicken Coop Tractor Hen House Poultry Cage for 3-5 Hens, Outdoor, Animal Care w/Wheels, 2 Doors, Nest Box, Removable Tray, UV Panel https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08DDHXWRN/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_Q3EWWV07JH4C0ERDY94C

This is the coop I bought.
 
Thanks for the reply! The prefab coop we bought has 2 nest boxes and 2 roost bars. There is an open window into the coop - and no closable door. It’s all inside an enclosed run space. Should we be thinking of closing up the window and putting a door to the coop on before winter hits? I worry about the right ventilation…
Best Choice Products 70in Mobile Fir Wood Chicken Coop Tractor Hen House Poultry Cage for 3-5 Hens, Outdoor, Animal Care w/Wheels, 2 Doors, Nest Box, Removable Tray, UV Panel https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08DDHXWRN/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_Q3EWWV07JH4C0ERDY94C
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom