Can you leave chicks overnight?

[mcf3kids]

I am a newbie here as well - my chicks are now over a month old - 22 of them (we started with 24). By about 6 weeks or so I can see being able to sneak away a night but in the first few weeks there is so much that can go wrong with heat, food and water - all things that can quickly kill or stress a small chick. I had to postpone getting mine until after a trip I had planned and am really glad I did. They are a fair amount of work in the first few weeks and trust me you won't want to miss seeing any of their development - they grow so fast and are soooo darn cute! Good luck with them when you get them!

 

[GardenGal]

Thanks again

 

[Happy Chooks]

I leave my adults/juveniles for days at a time without any problems. I too don't want to be a slave to my chickens, so we bought an auto door opener so we can leave them for a few days at a time.

However, chicks need more care. I don't feel comfortable leaving the heat lamp on while I'm not here, just too big of a fire hazard. Also, chicks spill their food, spill their water, kick shavings in their water, fly out of the brooder, etc.

If you have someone that can care for them while you are gone, then that would be perfect. Just make sure you have the heat lamp in the proper spot so all they have to do is keep food and water clean.

 

[GardenGal]

Now that we have our chicks, I realize how utterly ridiculous this question is. I could never leave the babies! It's hard enough going to work tomorrow leaving my husband in charge. He's a good man but he can't do laundry

 

[PolloGal]

I feel your ’pain’. Lol You posted a long while ago....so wondering how you made out? I am a newbie and have 4 nine week old pullets (have had them since 2 days old) that we just moved outside into the new pen/coop we built. They seem to be loving it, but I have to go away for a night...holidays and all. I am nervous about it, but have prepared as best as possible. Our pen is 10 x 20 and completely enclosed with 1/4” hardware cloth and a metal roof. In addition, we have a hardware cloth 3’ skirt around the entire pen...with cinder blocks and clips holding it all down. Inside the large pen is a small plastic coop (an Ecoflex New Age Coop) attached to a larger plastic coop (one of those plastic enclosure you keep 2 trash cans in) we re-did as their roosting area. Attached to the smaller Ecoflex coop, though, is another small enclosed pen with a door that leads to the larger pen. I have placed hardware cloth around this pen also...just as a precaution. So both of these pens allows them to be outside. To go away - I will just close the smaller pen door so they don’t have access to the larger pen, and place food and water in the smaller Ecoflex coop (so it won’t even be in the way or in their roosting coop). I am nervous about leaving the smaller coop door open, even though I have done everything possible to keep them safe. I am hoping they will just go to roost themselves...since I won’t be going away for another 2 weeks. They haven’t been going to roost alone yet, but seem to be starting to get the hang of it. Oh...and did I mention the electric fence? It’s around the entire large pen. Probably worrying for nothing but I just love my girls! I will be watching them too...from the chick cam my husband installed. I don’t go away often...or for more than one night...but I am hoping to be able to sleep with all these precautions! Have I missed anything???

 

[Jabebee13]

Welcome to BYC... Thanks for joining. I leave my chicks two nights. And they are okay.