From Brooder to?

:oops: Mine go out a day or so after they get here or come out of the incubator and I know that they are eating, drinking, know where to go get warmed up, and aren't suffering from shipping or hatching stress. Temps are in the 20s with some dips into the teens, snow, wind, and whatever wild Wyoming weather hits. They are off all heat at 4 weeks and the brooder pen comes completely out at the end of that week.

My first batch, heat lamp raised in the house until 5.5 weeks, were evicted to the still-unfinished coop! Them or me! I put a lamp out there but for 2 days they weren't anywhere near it. I took it out. They thrived. It snowed the second night. That was on an April 1st. We didn't get our last snowfall until June 6th that year. Yeah.

I so totally agree with weaning them off the heat gradually before you put them out. It will encourage faster feather growth and help acclimate them. They should do fine! According to the books and experts, the little Divas should be in the house until they are darn near laying eggs in the brooder. Chicks hatched outside under a mother hen are running all over the place and dodging snow at a couple of days old because they are acclimated from the start, just need a quick warm up from time to time, and sleep all night through under her.

In the end, so much depends on your setup and your own comfort zone. if they are outgrowing their brooder, you could be looking at behavior issues like serious pecking and such starting up. And having very limited space adds to their anxiety when they are finally out in the "wide open spaces". But it's a pain in the hiney to have one brooder for this age, build another one and move them into it, then build a bigger one.......you get the picture. If it was me, I take this next week, wean them off the heat and light so they learn what darkness is (they'll hate you but they'll get over it), and during that time set up a space for them in their outside facility so it's ready for them. Good luck!!

Thank you so much! We raised the heat lamp when they hit two weeks yesterday and will continue to weekly. I also think I'm going to start turning the light off for a few hours during the day as well. We will have the coop setup soon so it's ready when they go out but I appreciate the tips very much!
 
They *may* be referring to delaying integration into a coop where there are adult birds already present as some do follow that model(though safe integration before that is possible).

That being said, I, too,brood in the coop and integrate early (3-4 weeks). Even before brooding in the coop I integrated around 8 weeks.
 
I too have babies at the moment. They're about a week or so old. They hatched in the coop and were well taken care of by their mommy. It's quite cold here in Ohio, so I brought them into the house. They were in the basement with a heat lamp in a good sized cardboard box. The temp around 85 - 90 degrees F. In the past when we bought day old chicks, we always waited til they were fully feathered (if the temp was cold outside) before putting them in the barn/coop. They're now in my living room because we had a power outage so I wrapped them in a blanket and snuggled them up with me to keep them warm. And they're still in the LR. Anyway, I will introduce them to my other adult chickens when they are closer to being fully feathered and will separate them until I know they can all get along.
 
My chicks were outside at the farm when I bought them at about 5 weeks of age. They went outdoors in my coop when I brought them home. The weather was particularly bad and I did lose 2 birds. I think they got too stressed between the move and the cold snap (it was down near zero F at night and not above freezing during the day) and contracted illness and couldn't recover. I modified my setup and managed to save the rest. What I learned is this. Make the transition gradual. Give them a warm place any time it is below freezing. This could mean they have to go in your house or garage or shed if/when the temps drop. This could mean that they are locked in their coop for 24 hours or more to stay dry and out of the wind and snow. This could mean they have a heat lamp or heat pad set up as safely as possible to warm an area of the coop when temps drop below freezing. Watch their behavior and use your best judgement. If they are walking around and pecking and scratching they are doing fine. If they appear huddled or lethargic or fluffy or shivering, they are struggling to maintain their body temp.
 
I too have babies at the moment. They're about a week or so old. They hatched in the coop and were well taken care of by their mommy. It's quite cold here in Ohio, so I brought them into the house. They were in the basement with a heat lamp in a good sized cardboard box. The temp around 85 - 90 degrees F. In the past when we bought day old chicks, we always waited til they were fully feathered (if the temp was cold outside) before putting them in the barn/coop. They're now in my living room because we had a power outage so I wrapped them in a blanket and snuggled them up with me to keep them warm. And they're still in the LR. Anyway, I will introduce them to my other adult chickens when they are closer to being fully feathered and will separate them until I know they can all get along.

Please don't take offense.....I'm just wondering why, if their mama was doing such a great job of taking care of them, you opted to move them and keep them indoors. I'm not being judgmental, just curious.
 
Please don't take offense.....I'm just wondering why, if their mama was doing such a great job of taking care of them, you opted to move them and keep them indoors. I'm not being judgmental, just curious.
I asked at Family Farm & Home if I should bring them in and I was told yes. So I did. I also didn't want them falling out of the egg laying nest because it's a bit high off the ground.
 
I also didn't want them falling out of the egg laying nest because it's a bit high off the ground.
Usually mama will coax them down then find a place to sleep on the floor.
They can drop a good distance(have read stories of 10' drops) without injury provided there's good bedding.
 

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