chick escape places/hiding spot ideas

[junior67]

this pic is from @blackdog043 article.

but the little pallet stool thing is something I was thinking of for the coop but not sure how high to make it?

 

[rosemarythyme]

this pic is from @blackdog043 article.

but the little pallet stool thing is something I was thinking of for the coop but not sure how high to make it?

I would aim for a clearance underneath to be about as tall as a brick on its side, or a tiny bit more. The width and depth of a brick are close to a standard chick in size up to about 8 weeks of age.

 

[Battlepants]

My go-to escape hatch for the chicks is the cat carrier with clamp. We have some plastic clamps and with some trial and error, it can force the door to stay at a specific open-ness and only the littles can slip in and out.

 

[junior67]

I would aim for a clearance underneath to be about as tall as a brick on its side, or a tiny bit more. The width and depth of a brick are close to a standard chick in size up to about 8 weeks of age.

ok looked up brick size and it shows 8x4 so the 4" side?

I was also thinking about getting some cinder blocks to put the big girls food on and water (that is on another bucket but it is on the lid of it which then collects water and gets nasty so I need to clean that too which is a pain). so if I get the ones with holes and have the holes the chicks can run in that would be another spot right? Is it safe to have them the long way with 2 put together? I don't want them falling over and crushing anyone!

 

[junior67]

My go-to escape hatch for the chicks is the cat carrier with clamp. We have some plastic clamps and with some trial and error, it can force the door to stay at a specific open-ness and only the littles can slip in and out.

Oh I wonder if I can find some free ones that come apart and use those as a tunnel type thing too!

 

[rosemarythyme]

ok looked up brick size and it shows 8x4 so the 4" side?

I was also thinking about getting some cinder blocks to put the big girls food on and water (that is on another bucket but it is on the lid of it which then collects water and gets nasty so I need to clean that too which is a pain). so if I get the ones with holes and have the holes the chicks can run in that would be another spot right? Is it safe to have them the long way with 2 put together? I don't want them falling over and crushing anyone!

Yes on the brick. You potentially could use cinder blocks as described as well, though you would need more than just a couple placed together to make a tunnel, as otherwise the hens could simply pluck a chick out of the opening.

 

[junior67]

Yes on the brick. You potentially could use cinder blocks as described as well, though you would need more than just a couple placed together to make a tunnel, as otherwise the hens could simply pluck a chick out of the opening.

ok. thanks on the advice on the blocks. I mainly wanted them to raise the food and water up not as a hiding place so was just hoping that would be a bonus, guess not though but at least I know they will be safe to use to put the food and water on.

Think I have some great ideas for hiding spaces though. Just gotta see what I have for scrap wood. I have some left over HWC that I can make a tunnel too so hopefully all will be good.

 

[rosemarythyme]

ok. thanks on the advice on the blocks. I mainly wanted them to raise the food and water up not as a hiding place so was just hoping that would be a bonus, guess not though but at least I know they will be safe to use to put the food and water on.

It's still not bad as a bonus if you were planning on using some anyhow. If nothing else it'll let a chick dart through if being chased, but it just can't shelter under it long term, that's all.

 

[junior67]

It's still not bad as a bonus if you were planning on using some anyhow. If nothing else it'll let a chick dart through if being chased, but it just can't shelter under it long term, that's all.

Thanks! true that will help them get away and out of sight for a second. Hopefully my big ones aren't horrible! LOL This is my first time integrating.....

I am so excited my chicks should be in today (it is after midnight here) or Sat but PRAYING for today! Last year it should have been Fri or Sat and the few weeks before they came on Fridays so I was so excited counting down the days etc. well then I checked on Sat since I didn't get a call and was told that some hatched later so they wouldn't be in till Sunday. LOL MAN those were a LONG 2 days. prepared for it this year but still hoping they are in today! LOL

 

[3KillerBs]

It's still not bad as a bonus if you were planning on using some anyhow. If nothing else it'll let a chick dart through if being chased, but it just can't shelter under it long term, that's all.

In the setup I linked earlier, I deliberately set up what I thought of as "pursuit interupters".

That is, places that weren't actually hiding areas, but where a chick could dart through but an adult would have to either stop and wiggle under or fly/jump up over -- breaking the pursuit.

I got the idea from watching the chicks behavior in my second integration last year: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/introducing-the-ideal-dozen.1469451/post-24662727

They even used the adults as a pick when pursued by the older, "teenage" chicks.

Basically, anything that interrupted the pursuit for even a couple moments did the job.