Fast-tracking flock integration?

[aart]

Here I made sure that I didn't step on @azygous 's toes and I nailed my friend @aart ! I don't know why your heating plate wouldn't work just as well outside, aart....seems to me that as long as the chicks can get warm and the area where the pen is located is free of direct drafts, they'd do very well.

Not sure why you think you 'nailed' me....<scratcheshead>....<shrugs>

My 'pseudo heat plate' could work outside,
just wanted to be sure I made the disclaimer that I hadn't used it outside,
and offer a different configuration to the 'cave'.

Not sure I will ever use it outside either, I have a Cadillac of a brooder, kinda of like the chicks inside the house,
and would probably have to have a spider web of extension cords to use it in my coop(which I hate-fire phobia) already too many of them out there.

 

[bobbi-j]

My one coop has an outlet wired in. Unfortunately, that's not the one that would work best for early integration of chicks. I may ask DH if it's possible to wire that one up, too. As it is, it's close enough to his old shop that we only need one cord to power that one.

 

[bawkbawkbawk]

So what is the coolest outdoor temperature that, say, a three-week-old chick can handle comfortably? It looks like we will be in the high 50's, low-to-mid 60's here for the next few weeks. Regardless of what I end up doing during the day I will be bringing the young birds inside at night. Our pen is Ft. Knox-ed, but I wouldn't be able to sleep knowing what goes on out there at night.

Two coyotes took my Barred Rock while she was free-ranging

It happened so fast. I've always felt secure because of our fence and gates, but these coyotes thought nothing of coming over our four-foot wall. It's a new level of predator escalation in our neighborhood. I was there but couldn't move fast enough to save poor Lola.

So now, (sadly) I will be merging three standard-size fowl with two bantams and an EE.

 

[aart]

My broody had chicks out in negative F's last winter.

 

[bobbi-j]

So what is the coolest outdoor temperature that, say, a three-week-old chick can handle comfortably? It looks like we will be in the high 50's, low-to-mid 60's here for the next few weeks. Regardless of what I end up doing during the day I will be bringing the young birds inside at night. Our pen is Ft. Knox-ed, but I wouldn't be able to sleep knowing what goes on out there at night.

Two coyotes took my Barred Rock while she was free-ranging

It happened so fast. I've always felt secure because of our fence and gates, but these coyotes thought nothing of coming over our four-foot wall. It's a new level of predator escalation in our neighborhood. I was there but couldn't move fast enough to save poor Lola.

So now, (sadly) I will be merging three standard-size fowl with two bantams and an EE.

If you watch a broody with chicks, they aren't under her 24/7 even when it is cooler out. They huddle under her, get warm, go out to eat, drink, do chicken things, and when they get cold, they go back under her. I have brooded chicks out in the coop under lights when it's been in the 30's at night. A few years ago, we had temps that dipped down to the mid-20's. They did pile up that night, and I lost a few. I would think, though, that with a heat plate or cave-style heating pad brooder, that wouldn't be quite so likely. I think they could be closer to the heat source and not pile up on each other. (For those of you who brood this way, am I close to on track here?) I have brooded chicks that I've hatched in the house for a week or so, but no longer than that. The smell, dust and dander just aren't worth it to me. If you feel the coyotes can get into your coop, you may want to up your security. Maybe electric fence?

 

[azygous]

Blooie had her chicks in her run with the heating pad when it was in the teens. My chicks were thriving with temps in the 30s at night and not above 50 during the day. This is from the first week on. No problems as long as the chicks have a heat source they can duck under when they begin to feel chilled.

When I used to brood indoors. I would bring the chicks out after the second week on "field trips", watching to see how they acted, and if they crawled back into the carrier I transported them in, snuggling together for warmth, I knew it was time to get them indoors under the heat lamp again.

If the day was calm and in the high 60sF, I felt it was warm enough for two-week olds.

As far as predators, I have about every flavor they come in. I have electric fence wire in a double row around my coops and runs. It's very simple to do, using insulators to keep the wire from touching anything and grounding out. Then you just connect it to a charger and you're good to go. Let me tell you it works, after watching the reaction of a bear testing it and running off and never coming back afterward. If you run even one hot wire along the top of your wall, it should stop a coyote, especially if you leave a little peanut butter on it as a "message".

 

[bawkbawkbawk]

@bobbi-j my coop and pen are secure. Hardware cloth covered and trenched. Extra security door to the coop closed at night within the pen. They are vulnerable only when free-ranging beyond the interior chicken yard here under the oaks. The coyote jumped over that wall in the distance.




So now the girls will have to be content in their smaller world:



You can see there is a small interior yard around the coop and pen.

 

[bobbi-j]

Looks nice! I guess I misunderstood when you said you would bring them in at night then went on to reference your hen being taken by the coyote. What goes on out there at night that has you concerned?

 

[bawkbawkbawk]

2bobbi-j yes my comment was confusing. What I meant is that even though they would be safe within the pen, they would see the goings-on about them. Coop is more of a refuge. So I'll have to still bring them inside at night until they are ready to share coop space with the big hens.

 

[junebuggena]

So what is the coolest outdoor temperature that, say, a three-week-old chick can handle comfortably? It looks like we will be in the high 50's, low-to-mid 60's here for the next few weeks. Regardless of what I end up doing during the day I will be bringing the young birds inside at night. Our pen is Ft. Knox-ed, but I wouldn't be able to sleep knowing what goes on out there at night.

Two coyotes took my Barred Rock while she was free-ranging

It happened so fast. I've always felt secure because of our fence and gates, but these coyotes thought nothing of coming over our four-foot wall. It's a new level of predator escalation in our neighborhood. I was there but couldn't move fast enough to save poor Lola.

So now, (sadly) I will be merging three standard-size fowl with two bantams and an EE.

I've had chicks outside without heat at 3.5 weeks old (almost completely feathered in). Daytime temps were mid 50s, nighttime temps were low 40s. In southern California, temps won't be much of a concern after 4 weeks old. And considering that your large breed chicks will be the same size as your bantams by about 6 weeks old, integration should go fairly smoothly.