Grow Out Pens

[carladababe]

Hello,
How warm does it have to be outside before moving young chickens to their outside coop? Hatch date for my ordered chicks is late February. I live in mid-Missouri, where there is snow everywhere but inside of my coop.

Thanks, Carla

 

[firsthouse_mp]

I have a brooder that sat in the garage with four chicks for about 8 weeks, then I moved them outside to a teenage "annex" which is basically a small run. Our brooder was three very large plastic storage containers which had holes cut into the sides, then Velcroed together--like a three caboose train. When I moved the chickens outside, we moved one of the storage containers into the annex run and it will act as a coop for the next few weeks.

Our annex is just a simple 4x4 cubed chicken wire box with a hinged top that lifts up. It sits right up next to the run so that the old flock and the new flock can stare at eachother through the fence over the next few weeks before I start to integrate them together. I had my DH built this annex to fit exactly over one of our raised beds in the veggie garden, so that after the two flocks are integrated, I can use the cage to protect my veggies!

Additionally, the cage could be used if any of my hens needs a time-out or separation for medical attention.

 

[Chicklette 1]

My 5 chicks went from a large plastic storage container with a hardware cloth top on it to a large guinea pig cage and then on to a 4X4 pen in the yard with a top on it. Every night I brought them back into the original plastic brooder box to sleep. The other 2 places were not really predator proof so in they came every night. I kept the brooder box on my kitchen table next to the back door. When their coop was ready, in they went and life became a little easier. Yes, a lot of cleaning but I enjoyed it and I did have the time, so no complaints and I could sleep well at night knowing that my girls were safe in my house each night. I am expecting 9 more chicks the week of April 11th and will start the procedure all over again. They don't stay little fluff balls very long and now with some experience under my belt, I am going to really enjoy every day with them!!