Chicks escaping brooder

[Birdsforlife]

Hi, I’ve got baby chicks that were born 12/18 and some born 12/28. I have a kiddie pool as a brooder for them. With garden netting around it. The 12/18 batch keep escaping and walking around the room. They are sprouting feathers like crazy now. They don’t seem to be uncomfortable. Any suggestions on what to do next? Just hold out another two weeks? The 1st image below was about 2 weeks ago. The 2nd was last night.

 

[Cazook]

Net the top of the enclosure.

 

[EverV]

Net the top of the enclosure.

Agreed. I'd say use either hardware cloth or netting to fashion some sort of top. I had the same problem for a while, and ended up needing to switch to a big plastic storage container with a lid. I cut out the middle of the lid and replaced it with hardware cloth.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Where are you brooding them, in your house or outside? What kind of weather are you having? Do you have electricity in your coop? Do you have older chickens in your coop?

I've seen a broody hen take her two week old chicks to the roosts. They flew up there. Two week old chicks can fly much better than many people think. So one solution is to put a net over the brooder as already mentioned.

My brooder is built in the coop, I put chicks in it straight from the incubator or post office, even when the outside temperature is below freezing. As long as one area of the brooder is warm enough it doesn't matter what the temperature of other places are, even the far end of the brooder. I have no idea what your set-up, conditions or weather are. It's possible you could fix up something and move them all outside today or tomorrow. If we knew what you are working with out there we might be able to offer suggestions.

 

[AOrchard]

Any simple netting will work. You just need a visual barrier. As long as it's high enough they can't reach it when standing on the ground or feeders, then they can't peck it, so really any form of netting will work. Something real simple even like a layer of the non skid stuff you put under a rug, and use a few binder clips to secure it.

 

[AOrchard]

Actually, the other thing I've done is have the only lights be inside the brooder. They'll try escaping a few times and then they should realize it's dark and scary outside, and stay inside, or at least on the rim.

 

[SweetLittleChicks]

Hi, I’ve got baby chicks that were born 12/18 and some born 12/28. I have a kiddie pool as a brooder for them. With garden netting around it. The 12/18 batch keep escaping and walking around the room. They are sprouting feathers like crazy now. They don’t seem to be uncomfortable. Any suggestions on what to do next? Just hold out another two weeks? The 1st image below was about 2 weeks ago. The 2nd was last night.

put a wire roof top enclose make sure they have enough room though