Hello everyone from Northern Michigan!

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I find the easiest way to get around the site is by using the searchbox. For instance if you put "Michigan" in the box it will come up with your state thread." You may find other BYCers in your neighborhood. The Learning Center is just one click away in the brown rectangle above., and it is filled with useful information.
 
Fun Chicken said:
Thanks everyone, I'm sure I'll have plenty of questions for you all!
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For starters,I would like to tell you a little about myself and maybe I'll be able to learn a little about each of you too. I'm married to a wonderful man and have three great kids (well, they're around thirty but to me they'll always be my kids) who are still at home due to the fact that they are all handicapped. I'm a caregiver for them, but only part-time because of health issues. Our family loves animals. We have a dog, a bunny, a fish, 2 medium size parrots, 8 little parrots and now 23 chickens. We also used to have a cat that was part bobcat, but he died. My baby chicks are 5 weeks as of yesterday (monday) and they are definitely too big for the brooder. I'm having a friend build me a coop under my back porch, but it probably won't be ready for at least 2 more weeks since he only works on it Saturdays. Should I start taking them out during the day? I'm scared that something will eat them! But I don't want them to freeze the first night they have to sleep in the coop. I'm now lowering the temp of the heat lamp and will soon shut it off.
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At 5 weeks they should be fully feathered and able to regulate their body temperatures without any issues. If they are indoors in a brooder, then they no longer have any need for artificial warmth. Not sure where you are based (it can help to include a rough guide to your location under your avatar to help members help you out in the future) but taking the chicks out for increasing periods of time will help acclimatise them to the cooler temperatures. As long as you are with them, they should be fine.

Hope that helps
 
@CTKen, I really appreciate your advice. Like you said, they are mostly full feathered, and because they've grown so much, they are desperate to get out of the brooder. I am considering building a mobile run to place them in, simply because there's 23 of them an only 1 of me, and I cannot even run. So, to avoid any mishaps, I think that might be the best solution.

I read that it's best not to insulate the coop, but will thin walls (sheeting) be enough? According to my husband, they do have a heat rating, and he thinks they should be warm enough. It will help, I suppose, that the coop will be right against the house so it should not get too windy for them. Thank you in advance. Have a wonderful day!
 
Fun Chicken said:
@CTKen , I really appreciate your advice. Like you said, they are mostly full feathered, and because they've grown so much, they are desperate to get out of the brooder. I am considering building a mobile run to place them in, simply because there's 23 of them an only 1 of me, and I cannot even run. So, to avoid any mishaps, I think that might be the best solution.

I read that it's best not to insulate the coop, but will thin walls (sheeting) be enough? According to my husband, they do have a heat rating, and he thinks they should be warm enough. It will help, I suppose, that the coop will be right against the house so it should not get too windy for them. Thank you in advance. Have a wonderful day!
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I think your mobile run idea is a good one - particularly with 23 of the little tinkers!

Not sure about the coop insulation issue (I live on the equator, so thats never an issue) but if you ask on your state thread - https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/697050/michigan-thread-all-are-welcome they will be able to advise, as would the peeps that hang out on the Coops and Runs forum.

Best of luck
CT
 

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