Chicks need food at night?

[Finnie]

How strange. Evolutionary advantage over those missing out on the conflict-free hunt for food?

Maybe. Either that or the others won’t let her eat when they are awake!

 

[Devorah]

NO. Chickens don't get up for midnight snacks. or second dinner. Or elevensies. Or any other Hobbit-like behaviors. Once they settle down to roost, its lights out.

...and when they wake up in the AM (based, seemingly, on light levels) they will manage till 7am when you let them out.

I have a slightly different but related question. My chicks are almost 6 weeks and are almost bursting out of the brooder. The temps here in Mass are getting to be consistently in the 70s during the day and in the 50’s at night. My goal is to transition the flock to the coop by the end of the weekend.
I have heard that it is best to first keep the chicks in the coop for several days or even a week or so to get them used to that place as their base. It seems odd to me to not have them in the run/fresh air for that long, but clearly food and water are in the coop during this time.
Is this what people do when they transition chicks to the coop?

 

[rosemarythyme]

I have heard that it is best to first keep the chicks in the coop for several days or even a week or so to get them used to that place as their base. It seems odd to me to not have them in the run/fresh air for that long, but clearly food and water are in the coop during this time.
Is this what people do when they transition chicks to the coop?

Some people do it, some people don't. I did it with my first group of chicks (their coop had ample ventilation, so they weren't missing out on "fresh air," sunlight, etc.)

 

[Devorah]

Some people do it, some people don't. I did it with my first group of chicks (their coop had ample ventilation, so they weren't missing out on "fresh air," sunlight, etc.)

Thanks! And so you obviously had food and water in the coop when they were restricted to the coop. Do you continue to keep food and water in the coop?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Thanks! And so you obviously had food and water in the coop when they were restricted to the coop. Do you continue to keep food and water in the coop?

With my current coop, water goes outside. Fermented or wet feed goes outside. Dry pellet feed goes inside the coop each day (and removed at night) to keep it dry.

 

[Mrs. K]

If you have a run, I would let them out in it during the day. In an attempt to keep them safe, people tend to keep them in too small of area IMO. Space lets them get stronger by exercise. 50 degrees is plenty warm enough for 3 weeks old chicks, Yours will do fine.

As to the original post - often times what you are feeding overnight is not chickens, but rather feeding rodents. Feed is a great way to attract rats and mice.

Mrs K