Chicks outside!! *Update first morning*

[colowyo0809]

Quote:
NO!!!!!! We have already decided that we are putting our vacation plans on hold for the next year or so until we have the chickens going good, and the vegetables and everything. I am taking a week off in september (planning a butchering party for any roo's we have

everyone is invited!) and I believe my mother and her new beau will be down then so we are doing a "staycation" instead

 

[chicknerd]

Quote:
I read your post late last night on my iPad. I wasn't logged in so I couldn't post. But I had just put my 'babies' out for the night. I felt the same way. I finally sleep and they were fine this morning. They even went out of their door without any hesitation.

I think it is like kids. When the first drops the pacifier on the ground you sanitize it. By the third you just hand it back to the kid.

Glad your first night was as successful as ours!

 

[colowyo0809]

Lol chicknerd. I was around babies most of my life and the most I ever did was wipe off whatever visible dirt might be on it and pop it back in. Well, right up until I saw one eating dirt and then I just stopped wiping

Maybe it's because that's how I was raised and I was never sick. Which, in hindsight bummed me out a bit growing up because kids were always home with chickenpox and stuff and I never was

I think I was the only kid who constantly wished for chickenpox or a broken leg or something so I could have an excuse to stay home like everyone else

 

[ladybuglives]

I have 6 chicks who are six weeks old tomorrow. They are currently out in the secure pen today (70 degrees outside) -- they're eating dirt and bugs and grass and weeds. I do worry about them eating plants that are not good for them (buttercup) but know that I want them to free range in the yard eventually and can't monitor everything that goes in their beaks! Arghhhh!!! I plan on putting them in the coop next weekend with a heat lamp in the corner. How far from the ground should the heat lamp be to avoid fire? I will join the rest of you sleep deprived mother hens I'm sure -- major worry wart here...

 

[pkw]

Wow which ones have a harder time adjusting: chickens or human? Human wins!

Just wait til you have to go on vacation and you leave the chickens in the care of your teenage neighbor

Vacation??? I don't think so !!!!!!!

Seriously, twice now there has been an ocassion where we would be gone a long time and I just sent my husband and daughter both times (the last time was this weekend and my husband and daughter was gone 2 days). I just couldn't leave my baby chicks or my dogs either one for that length of time especially not since it is so hot here. I worry about them dying from the heat.​

 

[chickie-is-obsessed]

I feel your pain. We decided at 3 1/2 weeks the chicks were definately outgrowing their brooder and the dust was unbelievable!

The first night in the coop I got up and checked them twice....of course they were perfectly fine.

We kept them in for a week then the weather turned and got really hot so we started putting them out for the day in their run. They are 5 weeks old tomorrow and thriving! I am new to this and was so terrified that something would happen but I think getting them out early was the best thing for them. They have dirt, grass, dandelions, playground sand and lots of bugs to keep them busy!

Good luck with your chicks! They will love being outside!

Pam