Going outside

[rjrinehart]

I've had my chicks most of the day outside since they were about 2 weeks old.

Now that they are 3-6 weeks old(mixed ages in the flock) they spend all day outside and go back in the coop before dark.

So you do have out side? Since it's warm? Do they roost on their own? And what does your coop look like?

 

[rjrinehart]

Btw what kind of chicks do you think these are? The red is probably a Rhode Island. But I'm not sure about the others

 

[SewCluck]

So you do have out side? Since it's warm? Do they roost on their own? And what does your coop look like?

I kept my chicks in the house the first night to make sure they were eating, drinking and going under the heat pad cave (search mama heat pad and/or mhp). The coldest we've had here has been high 30's at night. I placed the brooder box in the garden shed we are converting into a coop. During the day they are outside in a tractor to protect them from hawks and cats. I let them free range, outside of the tractor for at least an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening before going into the brooder that is in the shed. The brooder is a very large kennel for dogs. I have bedding (wood shavings), the mam heat pade cave (no longer on at night just there as a huddle area if they get cold) and there are roosting bars in there too. Tomorrow we will finish the transforming the shed into a coop. I will leave the mama heat pad cave in case the younger ones want to go in and huddle, then let them out into their run in the mornings. Let them free range as usual and into the coop before dark.

I have
4 buff orpingtons
3 Easter Eggers
2 silver laced wyandottes
2 barred rocks
2 black australorps

They are all 3 to 6 weeks old, ages vary.

 

[rjrinehart]

I kept my chicks in the house the first night to make sure they were eating, drinking and going under the heat pad cave (search mama heat pad and/or mhp). The coldest we've had here has been high 30's at night. I placed the brooder box in the garden shed we are converting into a coop. During the day they are outside in a tractor to protect them from hawks and cats. I let them free range, outside of the tractor for at least an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening before going into the brooder that is in the shed. The brooder is a very large kennel for dogs. I have bedding (wood shavings), the mam heat pade cave (no longer on at night just there as a huddle area if they get cold) and there are roosting bars in there too. Tomorrow we will finish the transforming the shed into a coop. I will leave the mama heat pad cave in case the younger ones want to go in and huddle, then let them out into their run in the mornings. Let them free range as usual and into the coop before dark.

I have
4 buff orpingtons
3 Easter Eggers
2 silver laced wyandottes
2 barred rocks
2 black australorps

They are all 3 to 6 weeks old, ages vary.

Like I was saying before they were under the heat lamp and they were getting hot. They are in out extra room in the house and suprisingly haven't been smell at all lol, but I've yet to build a coop. I'm hoping the pallets I get Saturday will be here and I can make one by Sunday.

They are getting big and so i need to hurry. They were just kinda given to me outta the blue and luckily I have a 10x10 dog cage that I've got chicken wired on the sides for extra protection and I'm about to finish wiring the bottom.

I've got old cedar shaving in the bottom already for where we had a dog in there for a week. I probably need to make sure there isn't any old poo in there?? And I think they can only be in pine shaving but I'm thinking the cedar smell is gone? I need to get some straw out there instead.

Is a pallet coop alright? What's on the bottom of your coop? I've got 6 chickens. Not sure what they are yet. But I've heard I only need 2 nest boxes for 6.