Can I move them?

[chubbchubb7]

I have two chicks, 3 & 4 weeks. Pic shown below. The older one flew out the brooder this morning. They need a new home. Can I move them out to the mini coop? There's a mama hen and 15 older chicks out there but I can lock mama out. What does the low outside need to be for this to be ok? We live in Florida

 

[chubbchubb7]

 

[Belle020]

I think its okay to take them out if they have lots of feathers and Its warm outside. Maybe first try it out and see if they get along with the other chickens first and if that works out you could always just leave them in there and put them back in the brooder at night if it gets cold. I have week old chicks myself and I plan on taking them out of the brooder once they reach 4 weeks if the weather is good I wish you the best of luck with your chicks!

 

[chubbchubb7]

Thanks!! Yea that's what I was thinking. Hope I can catch them lol to bring them back in hahaha but I can't have chicks all over my house!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi.

You will likely need to give them a little fence... they will be picked on by the older chicks until it get worked out. Also they will learn where they are safe so they can retreat and you will be able to collect them when you are ready. After they are good and settled in to that area, then you can open up the fence and let them range. They will stay close to their safety zone for quite some time and slowly venture farther out. Especially with small broods, they can be a little less adventurous. DO NOT toss them out with the older chicks and no safe zone.

As long as your weather is decent they can go outside with no problem during the day. Give them a huddle box, since there are only 2 they may not be able to warm up as easily. But they should be fine.

If weather is decent... not raining and only a slight breeze, my chicks are outdoors as young as 3 days old. They don't need to be constantly warm, they just need a place to warm up and know where it is. My temps hit max 65 in summer. Broody mama had her babies outdoors and they were dirt bathing in about 50ish degrees.

I usually wean the heat off indoors before tossing them out for the night with no heat. But they shouldn't need any heat during the day right now, probably. Or when I toss them out, I might supply some very low heat for the first night or so... really have to play it by ear and roll with the weather and the individual brood. Since they are still under heat at night, I would not cold turkey them if you're wanting to move them out for good.

 

[chubbchubb7]

I put them out since I had to leave and didn't want them out in my house lol I couldn't get one of the older chicks out

I pushed it out and it ran back in. Hopefully they did ok tho! I'll collect them when I get home. They can get out and back in when they want

 

[chubbchubb7]

I couldn't find them and thought they were gone when I saw something in the corner of my eye! They were in the roosting part of the big chicken coop lol
Now I have to try to get them out. Little monkeys! It's deep littered in there, if I can't catch them will they be ok?

 

[Red5]

I think they will be ok. Fwiw.

 

[chubbchubb7]

I hope so! I caught one and couldn't catch the other so I had to let the one I caught go too!! Now they are both hiding in the weeds

 

[Red5]

They aren't grouping with the other birds? Do they seem to be enjoying the outdoors, it doesn't sound that way from this end but you did just let them out?