Chick Eviction Fears

[Beccatrix]

Hello! I have seven 9.5 week old chicks ready to move from their brooder tent to a pen within our coop to start meeting our 6 month olds. They've been off heat and at house temp (65) for a week.

The coop is insulated. It's our first winter, and I'm so nervous. 30s during the day and low 20s overnight. What do these guys need to safely acclimate? Is there any benefit to keeping them inside until 12 weeks?

Also, we need to process 2 aggressive older cockerels. The young group has 4 boys. Would it go any smoother to move them after the older ones are gone?

 

[SmiYa0126]

I've had my two month old out with his mama no problem in the cold weather. They'll be fine, if you pick them up you can feel how warm they run.

 

[AnnPann]

I was so nervous this year too! I have 7 6-week olds and we've had 18 degrees overnight and they made it through the night in an uninsulated coop just fine. I started out putting them out in the run during the day a couple weeks ago, then moving them back to the (unheated) garage at night for about a week to help them acclimate. Then moved them outside 24-hours. They always have a K&H brooder plate available, but they don't use it that often. They do sometimes snuggle under at night, however, we lost power on the 2 coldest nights, and they were still alive and well in the morning (but cold!). Thanks to advice and encouragement I got here, I was not as panicked as I would have been when I woke up and saw the power had gone out.

Maybe you could move your brooder tent to a garage where it will be colder, just not as cold as in the run, and let them sleep there for a few nights, while they get used to the colder temps?

I would not keep them inside until 12 weeks. I did that in the spring (we had unusually cold weather) and it was a nightmare. Not just the mess/dust and hassle, but integrating with the older hens took FOREVER.

 

[Ridgerunner]

What do these guys need to safely acclimate?

At 9-1/2 weeks they will survive those temperatures without any acclimation. I'm not convinced that acclimating them will even make them more comfortable. Some animals do extremely well in colder weather. I believe chickens belong in that group once they feather out.

Probably more for your benefit than the chickens you can take them out during the day and see how they do. That will probably boost your confidence more than anything I can say.

Is there any benefit to keeping them inside until 12 weeks?

If you want to make them lap chickens they are probably easier to tame if they are inside where you are more comfortable playing with them.

Many of us find it easier to integrate when they are younger as compared to older. You may be beyond that potential benefit. Some of that depends on what your facilities and integration techniques look like.

Also, we need to process 2 aggressive older cockerels. The young group has 4 boys. Would it go any smoother to move them after the older ones are gone?

Just to make sure I understand, two 16-week-old-boys and four 9-1/2-week-old boys. A mature rooster sometimes helps in integration and usually does not hurt. Who knows how your immature cockerels will react. This assumes your younger ones have not hit puberty yet. If the younger have hit puberty they are likely to be seen as a rival by roosters or older cockerels, which could cause a problem. Even if you remove the two older cockerels the older pullets may pick on the younger ones as they are entering puberty. Or those younger boys in puberty may bother the older girls. Another reason to not wait too long to introduce those younger birds.

I don't raise mine the way you do. My brooder is in the coop and my broody hens raise their chicks with the flock from Day 1 so the chicks grow up with the flock. I have three different coops/shelters where they can sleep which helps in integration. I have over 3,000 square feet in outside room and weather where all that room is available practically all day every day of the year. I don't have integration issues but I sometimes (not always but sometimes) have cockerel puberty issues. I have no idea what your facilities look like or how much room will be available in your Wisconsin winter. If you are going to use the "see but don't touch" method, I think I'd want those two cockerels gone before I let them out of that.

 

[ugachickenmama]

At 9-1/2 weeks they will survive those temperatures without any acclimation. I'm not convinced that acclimating them will even make them more comfortable.

Thank you! Just what info I was looking for!

I am assuming this will apply to a group of girls that are going out into a new coop/run on their own and not being introduced to an existing flock with older birds.

 

[Beccatrix]

At 9-1/2 weeks they will survive those temperatures without any acclimation. I'm not convinced that acclimating them will even make them more comfortable. Some animals do extremely well in colder weather. I believe chickens belong in that group once they feather out.

Probably more for your benefit than the chickens you can take them out during the day and see how they do. That will probably boost your confidence more than anything I can say.


If you want to make them lap chickens they are probably easier to tame if they are inside where you are more comfortable playing with them.

Many of us find it easier to integrate when they are younger as compared to older. You may be beyond that potential benefit. Some of that depends on what your facilities and integration techniques look like.


Just to make sure I understand, two 16-week-old-boys and four 9-1/2-week-old boys. A mature rooster sometimes helps in integration and usually does not hurt. Who knows how your immature cockerels will react. This assumes your younger ones have not hit puberty yet. If the younger have hit puberty they are likely to be seen as a rival by roosters or older cockerels, which could cause a problem. Even if you remove the two older cockerels the older pullets may pick on the younger ones as they are entering puberty. Or those younger boys in puberty may bother the older girls. Another reason to not wait too long to introduce those younger birds.

I don't raise mine the way you do. My brooder is in the coop and my broody hens raise their chicks with the flock from Day 1 so the chicks grow up with the flock. I have three different coops/shelters where they can sleep which helps in integration. I have over 3,000 square feet in outside room and weather where all that room is available practically all day every day of the year. I don't have integration issues but I sometimes (not always but sometimes) have cockerel puberty issues. I have no idea what your facilities look like or how much room will be available in your Wisconsin winter. If you are going to use the "see but don't touch" method, I think I'd want those two cockerels gone before I let them out of that.

Thanks for the info! We have about 1500 sq ft between coops and covered runs, divided between chickens, waterfowl, and turkeys (they free range most of the day). Our in coop brooder is still under construction, with plans to add a pole barn divided up for various purposes in spring. We do have an in chicken coop grow out pen ready. This is our first winter. Hoping our broodier breeds will pull their weight in the future!

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

Gosh, I want updates! This was quite the setup

How did it turn out ? (Fluffy butt pics welcome)

 

[Beccatrix]

Gosh, I want updates! This was quite the setup

How did it turn out ? (Fluffy butt pics welcome)

Oh man, I felt so guilty, but their early crowing broke me. We moved them out Monday. Day time temps were 40ish. Overnight was 20ish. We're having a "warm" week now though! They definitely snuggled up to their side plate; deciding when to pull it out. The in coop grow out pen seems to be working well. The 6 month olds were not overly interested in them beyond the first few hours. Definitely going to cull the two more aggressive roos before they're allowed to interact. The grow out pen is big enough that I'm thinking a full 30 days before we consider it.

Almost 11 week old Swedish Flower Hens, all black sno milled or mottled.

The pullets are January, Apricity, and Aneira.

The cockerels are Everest, Burton, Toes, and Evergreen.

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

They are gorgeous! Wow! Beautiful babies you have

 

[Beccatrix]

They are gorgeous! Wow! Beautiful babies you have

Thanks!!