Chicks Moved to the Coop!

[quietlyscheming]

So after living in my hallway closet, after 4 weeks, we decided to move them to the coop. The wife is preggo right now and has the super nose. She walked by the closet door while I was checking in on them one day and I thought I was going to have to clean up another mess.

Anyway, they're feathered up pretty good and thankfully it doesn't really get that cold here in Houston. I did rig up their heat bulb into the coop.









The girls seem to be settling in well. I did cover the windows tonight with some pieces of fabric since it's supposed to get down to the 40's tonight. They seem to like burrowing down in the shavings and piling in the hole together.

 

[fiddlebanshee]

They'll love it in their new digs.

But, please tell me that that heat lamp is not just hanging by its cord. If it is, it is an accident waiting to happen. Please secure it with two independent chains so that if one fails, the other will hold it up. Just concerned for the safety of your birds and your property.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Hindsight, but you could have brooded in the coop and skipped the hall way closet altogether.

Frankly, after another 10 days of acclimation, you could pull that heat lamp altogether. Living in Houston, they simply won't need supplemental heat. Having a back up wire on the heat lamp is a good safety precaution.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Fred's Hens :

Hindsight, but you could have brooded in the coop and skipped the hall way closet altogether.

Frankly, after another 10 days of acclimation, you could pull that heat lamp altogether. Living in Houston, they simply won't need supplemental heat. Having a back up wire on the heat lamp is a good safety precaution.

X2

Unless I only have 2 or so, they always brood outdoors.​

 

[quietlyscheming]

Quote:
Nope, it's actually ziptied to a heavy eye hook on a ceiling beam. Very secure.

Fred's Hens :

Hindsight, but you could have brooded in the coop and skipped the hall way closet altogether. big_smile

Frankly, after another 10 days of acclimation, you could pull that heat lamp altogether. Living in Houston, they simply won't need supplemental heat. Having a back up wire on the heat lamp is a good safety precaution.

Yea, I did consider putting them out in the coop right away but the kids loved em so much. They've gotten very used to being picked up everyday with the kids and I. I didn't realize how big the got so fast!

Being in Houston, I'm hoping I can take the lamp away pretty soon. I hate the idea of the heat lamp being out there, even secured as it is. I'd sleep better at night if it wasn't there at all but with temps getting into the 30's tonight it'll have to stay for now I guess.

I currently have scrap fabric covering the windows (to prevent drafts at night) but has anyone used plexiglass before? I hate having to go in there everyday to remove and put up the cloth since it blocks out the sunlight during the day.

Thanks for the help and comments everyone!​

 

[SteveBaz]

They look to be over 3 months old. NO heat at all they just do not need it anymore and you will mess up what mother nature provides them which is a down coat of under feathers

 

[T-Amy]

Great job! Coop looks fantastic! Is this your first time with hens and/or chicks altogether? I noticed you have some high roosts- do they get up that high? some of my layers are quite heavy & always seem to prefer the lower roosts- but I give them a roost about 3' & 5' & let them decide- not wanting to have them break their legs.

My friend let his free range all the time & had a few actually go into the tree branches that hung way above their coop! I live in the woods with too many hungry predators so full-time free-ranging isn't an option.

FYI, we just took our meat chicks out of the inside brood & they're doing fine with two 100-watt lamps- (2 in case one fails) they aren't under there very often but our nights dip into the teens & 20's. They huddle up as needed but they grow much faster than layer hens so i'm not worried about screwing up their internal heat source. When we get layers this spring, I'm sure we'll have a heat source til they feather up & give them the option to stick close to that or not- What wattage bulb are you using?
Good luck to you!!
And congrats on the upcoming baby!

 

[T-Amy]

Oh, what kind of birds are these & which hatchery did you use?

 

[Eddy Chicken]

I'll say they're Rhode Island Reds, Black Australorps, and Americauna(sp) and a Barred Rock.
Being from Tx they probably came from Ideal.
That's my guess and I'm stickin' to it. lol

 

[Dublin21]

That's a pretty sizeable coop. Did you build that yourself?