Ground Beef Incident

[FlappyCoop]

really cold out there. House temps to 0F all at once would be a real shock, not so good. Can you transition them to an attached but colder garage for a while, with that brooder plate?
Then to a coop section just for them, so they can meet the other birds through wire, and make a gradual integration, with extra feeder and waterers available.
Cold winter is not an ideal time for all this, for sure.
Mary

Hi Mary- I am in the Bahamas. Outside low temps are around 72F. They are not fully feathered yet - they’re

Flappy, approximately where do you live? Climate matters here. After they are fully feathered would be a good time, maybe with a bit of extra heat (brooder plate) if it's really cold out there. House temps to 0F all at once would be a real shock, not so good. Can you transition them to an attached but colder garage for a while, with that brooder plate?
Then to a coop section just for them, so they can meet the other birds through wire, and make a gradual integration, with extra feeder and waterers available.
Cold winter is not an ideal time for all this, for sure.
Mary

Hi Mary-

I live in the Bahamas. The low temps at night these past few weeks have been around 72F. They are not fully feathered and are 2w4d old. If it was the summer we wouldn’t have any problem

 

[FlappyCoop]

OK, that helps a lot. Very unique situation you have. "See and Be Seen" is definitely the way - glad you have separate facilities for integration.

Generally, incubated, home (inside) raised chicks should be headed out when they are fully fledged and the temps are "moderate". For me, that means from just before 3 weeks to 4 weeks max, and overnight temps in the 50s. There are others, in much colder environments, who have successful experience at lower temps. I will defer to them in those cases - I have a very forgiving climate.

Thank you!

 

[tripletfeb]

Hi Mary- I am in the Bahamas. Outside low temps are around 72F. They are not fully feathered yet - they’re

Hi Mary-

I live in the Bahamas. The low temps at night these past few weeks have been around 72F. They are not fully feathered and are 2w4d old. If it was the summer we wouldn’t have any problem

72° IS summer! Gradually reduce their heat inside in the next two weeks then evict those babies!

 

[FlappyCoop]

72° IS summer! Gradually reduce their heat inside in the next two weeks then evict those babies!

I forget how cold other people have it . Meanwhile I get cold when it’s below 70F here . So should I aim to have them outside by 4weeks then?

Also I’m thinking of letting them spend their days outside (now) in the small coop and bring them in around 6pm when the sun goes down. Would that be safe? I miss them running around my house already. My son loves to play with them!!

 

[Folly's place]

I adopted three chicks hatched Dec 12th this winter, and had them in my 40F garage with a brooder plate for five weeks, the with the brooder plate off, and moved them to their coop section in balmy 25F to 35F weather at eight weeks, again with their brooder plate. Since then it's been 0F some nights, and they are doing fine.
Never would I deliberately start chicks here in winter, but these were babies who needed a home, and they are looking good.
70F is summer!!!
Mary

 

[Ebony Rose]

Wow! How does one train a chicken to hunt rodents?

Bought snap-traps to catch mice. After resetting the traps in the morning, I'd unceremoniously swing the 'fresh meat' by the tail into my flock of chickens.

Let the games begin!

After about one week of this, I no longer have a vermin problem, and my flock faithfully teaches the younger generations the trick of how to catch their own snacks (when available).

 

[Folly's place]

If only the chickens could hunt at night! Our surviving mouse population knows when to come out, not during the day.
And mice are a constant struggle, if the coop doors are opened for free ranging opportunities.
Mary

 

[rosemarythyme]

I forget how cold other people have it . Meanwhile I get cold when it’s below 70F here . So should I aim to have them outside by 4weeks then?

Also I’m thinking of letting them spend their days outside (now) in the small coop and bring them in around 6pm when the sun goes down. Would that be safe? I miss them running around my house already. My son loves to play with them!!

This sounds like a pretty good plan, though I'd start with shorter outings at first (maybe 1 hr at a time) so they can warm up in between visits outdoors. If they do well, you can gradually lengthen the time they're outside.

I have 4 week olds off heat when it's mid 40s at night, so expecting them outside by 4 weeks is perfectly reasonable.

 

[tripletfeb]

I forget how cold other people have it . Meanwhile I get cold when it’s below 70F here . So should I aim to have them outside by 4weeks then?

Also I’m thinking of letting them spend their days outside (now) in the small coop and bring them in around 6pm when the sun goes down. Would that be safe? I miss them running around my house already. My son loves to play with them!!

This

This sounds like a pretty good plan, though I'd start with shorter outings at first (maybe 1 hr at a time) so they can warm up in between visits outdoors. If they do well, you can gradually lengthen the time they're outside.

I have 4 week olds off heat when it's mid 40s at night, so expecting them outside by 4 weeks is perfectly reasonable.

 

[FlappyCoop]

This sounds like a pretty good plan, though I'd start with shorter outings at first (maybe 1 hr at a time) so they can warm up in between visits outdoors. If they do well, you can gradually lengthen the time they're outside.

I have 4 week olds off heat when it's mid 40s at night, so expecting them outside by 4 weeks is perfectly reasonable.

Thank you!