Coop DONE, chicks moving in! Questions!

[audioguy]

I have finally, after 7 weeks, finished the coop and the chicks are living in it.

Here are a few pictures to start. . . . .and a few questions at the bottom.

Completed Coop! YEAH!!

Now we need to move the chicks in!

Better than TV! (that is what they said).

Now for the questions.
I placed a 125w heat lamp inside the coop. Should it be on all night or off at night? Its starting to get warm and I'm not sure I still need it.

Also the chicks did not go to the coop at dark. I found them huddled together in a corner of the run. I thought it best to place them in the coop this first night. Do they figure it out?
I also have the water and food outside the coop. Food under the coop and the water outside in the run.

One nice thing I found while gather materials for the run is that 1" Schedule 40 PVC pipe has the exact outside diameter as regular fence posts 1 3/8", so the door hinge hardware fits easily. Make for a much lighter door and very inexpensive too.

I will be getting an automatic waterer I found on Ebay. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290569490566&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:US:1123

Anyway, thanks for the help. This is the greatest place for all things chicken!

 

[Omran]

You have a very nice coop and avery lovely Family
For the heat Lamb, if it is about 70 F and better you really don't need it at all, especially that the chickes looks to me about 4 to 6 weeks old. and for the first few days you need to put them every night inside till they learn that they have a new home.
Good luck.
Omran

 

[Dawn419]

Great job on the coop!

They should be fine without the heat lamp at this time of year.

Don't worry about them huddling in the corner of the run as ours did the same thing the first few nights we put them out. They'll figure it out in a few days.

When we put our flock outside, they were 6 weeks old. I turned them loose in the coop and they spent most of the day in it just to go out in the run and huddle in the corner. They eventually figured it out.

Dawn

 

[Gardengirl 2011]

It looks like your girls had fun getting them into their new home. Good job on thatby the way. The chicks will figure it out. It took mine a couple days.

 

[audioguy]

Thanks for the very fast replies!

I will turn off the lamp if over 70 and make sure to show them the front door til they figure it out!

Do they need to be confined to the coop at night? I cut the hole for the door but did not install it, thinking it was not needed???

Straw or hay for the nest boxes or pine bedding? My girls threw some straw in them for now. No eggs til maybe late August?

Thanks again!

 

[Omran]

Straw works really well for me. and BTW you are very welcome.

 

[CoyoteMagic]

It's been in the 90*'s in NJ correct?! I don't think you are going to need any heat lamp. If they are a little chilly they are going to snuggle up, they may even do that because it's a new place.

I'd close them up, at least for now until they get used to being in the coop. All of mine have access to their runs 24/7 except for the young EE's because that pen only has a plastic netting to keep them in not Raccoons and possums out!

 

[hcppam]

i have been putting mine in (manually every night this week), new coop to I will wait and see tomorrow if they go in. Great job have fun with them.

:yiipchick

 

[greenbottle27]

Oh soooo nice! Family, coop and garden included

 

[Roccomanchickens]

Nice coop, cute kids, too! My chickens have always figured out where they should sleep. Eventually they will jump up as high as they can get. The first time mine went up high they actually scared me because I thought the coop was empty. They were up in the rafters! Have fun!