First Time Chick Parents, Spring 2016

[porqupine]

@Blooie -- Our temps are in the low 90s to mid 80s during the day with lows in the mid 50s at night. If this stays, would it be feasible to put the chicks out at 3 weeks (they are a week now) in their coop without a heat source? Or earlier? (In your opinion, of course) I don't have the facilities to brood them outside from the beginning, but the coop should be predator proof in the next week or two. It's getting to be a bit much keeping them inside and they are clearly going to be needing more space than the brooder provides as they continue growing like weeds! I have four, 2 EEs, 1 SLW, 1 BR all the same size and healthy, happy chickies from the start. Everything I read says 5-7 weeks but that just seems ridiculous...these are chickens not blind, deaf puppies! They can clearly fend for themselves to a certain extent straight from the egg (so long as predators are not allowed to walk right in, obviously) !

 

[Blooie]

I don't see why they couldn't go out at 3-4 weeks with those temperatures. Understand that they will huddle - it's not always just because they are cold, but a combination of the reduced temps AND strange surroundings. They huddle as much for security as warmth.

You may want to teach them what a huddle box is for before you take them out full time. It's a cardboard box put open end down, with a chick sized hole in the side. Make it large enough so they all fit, but small enough that they are comfortably close to each other. If they have a place to "hide" when they get spooked (and at first just about everything will spook them) they'll also be sharing a little body heat, and that's a good thing.

Also about a week before you put them out, take your heat source away. Oh, they'll scream and hate you, but they'll forgive you. You are trying to acclimate them, and get them used to day/night cycles. I can't remember if you are a member of the Broody Brigade or not, but I'm assuming you are using a heat lamp at the moment. If they are Mama Heating Pad babies, they'll already know that nighttime is for sleeping and daytime is for "chickening" so you won't be worried about that transition.

Since you have no way to provide heat out there like I do, that acclimation period is really important and I think I'd wait until they are closer to 4 weeks to put them out. But it's up to you, of course. You are there and I am not, so you know your situation better than I do. Good luck!

 

[porqupine]

I don't see why they couldn't go out at 3-4 weeks with those temperatures. Understand that they will huddle - it's not always just because they are cold, but a combination of the reduced temps AND strange surroundings. They huddle as much for security as warmth.

You may want to teach them what a huddle box is for before you take them out full time. It's a cardboard box put open end down, with a chick sized hole in the side. Make it large enough so they all fit, but small enough that they are comfortably close to each other. If they have a place to "hide" when they get spooked (and at first just about everything will spook them) they'll also be sharing a little body heat, and that's a good thing.

Also about a week before you put them out, take your heat source away. Oh, they'll scream and hate you, but they'll forgive you. You are trying to acclimate them, and get them used to day/night cycles. I can't remember if you are a member of the Broody Brigade or not, but I'm assuming you are using a heat lamp at the moment. If they are Mama Heating Pad babies, they'll already know that nighttime is for sleeping and daytime is for "chickening" so you won't be worried about that transition.

Since you have no way to provide heat out there like I do, that acclimation period is really important and I think I'd wait until they are closer to 4 weeks to put them out. But it's up to you, of course. You are there and I am not, so you know your situation better than I do. Good luck!

Oh yes, they already know the huddle deal -- I have a heating pad/wire set up cave but the way i did it it's up against one end of the brooder so it has only one opening big enough for one, maybe two, to enter in at a time and then they all huddle up! Although now they seem only interested in hanging out on top. Starting today (as it is so hot, may put it back on low if it gets chillier) I am turning off the pad during the day as long as the brooder stays at around 80 and just keeping it on at night to help slowly acclimate them. They are raised up off the floor against a window with a clear brooder box so they are very good at day/night transitions!

 

[Blooie]

Then you should be good! Take the heating pad cave out there without the heating pad...just the frame and the cover... and they'll use that as a huddle box!!

 

[athomas718]

So along the same lines, can it be "too hot" for them. Mine are 3 weeks now and I take them out on occasion but all they do is pant and huddle, and it worries me that they are over heating and are going to die of heat strokes. (My anxiety lol )

But if they are just huddling because "Ahhhh what is this place!" That makes me feel better.

Our lows are still in the low 50s and some highs are 60s still. We will wait until 5 weeks I think before moving them out.

The heat source removing tip is great! Thank you for that, I would have never thought to remove it to help them acclimate.

I get so much knowledge from this site!

 

[Jensownzoo]

Guinea keets!

 

[Blooie]

So along the same lines, can it be "too hot" for them. Mine are 3 weeks now and I take them out on occasion but all they do is pant and huddle, and it worries me that they are over heating and are going to die of heat strokes. (My anxiety lol )

But if they are just huddling because "Ahhhh what is this place!" That makes me feel better.

Our lows are still in the low 50s and some highs are 60s still. We will wait until 5 weeks I think before moving them out.

The heat source removing tip is great! Thank you for that, I would have never thought to remove it to help them acclimate.

I get so much knowledge from this site!

Chicks (and chickens) can and do overheat very easily. In fact, around the time fall rolls around, the site is full of questions about how to keep chickens warm, when the reality is that they do an awesome job of that all by themselves.....it's the risk of them getting too hot in the summertime that should be of just as much concern. It's likely with the temperatures you are having right now that they are just nervous about the big wide world. They're not used to it, and every sound, every shadow, every flitting butterfly is cause for worry. They worry, they huddle...they huddle they are combining body heat. I wouldn't worry too much about them - they just need to get comfortable in a world they've never experienced before.

 

[Blooie]

Guinea keets!

Okay, those are officially cute!!! And it looks like they figured out Mama Heating Pad quite well!!

 

[Jensownzoo]

Okay, those are officially cute!!!  And it looks like they figured out Mama Heating Pad quite well!!

Yep, didn't even need to teach them about it...they had figured it out by the time I finished putting them in the brooder.

 

[pinebarrens]

I follow this thread even though I don't post much. Seems like a good place to put a picture of something that tickled me the other day.




I had just painted my toenails a new color. Mothra, my EE pullet, was really curious. She spent about 5 minutes eyeballing them like this, occasionally taking a peck at them (polish was dry.)

In this pic you can just barely spot our "surprise" speckled Sussex cockerel Rodan walking behind the chair, and a tiny bit of a buff orp. All 9 of our chicks are around 15-17 weeks old now.

Since we want our birds to be able to free range, I'm hoping Rodan will turn out to be a keeper. He was mellow and sweet as a chick. He used to like me best and would come up to me to be picked up, making these little peeping sounds. Then a week or so ago, almost overnight, I guess he hit some kind of chicken development milestone and now he steers clear of people. We'll see how he behaves over time. Every so often, he'll grab one of the girls by the back of the neck, but when she yells he lets go. Poor dude, I think the girls are still weeks away from being ready for any of that.