Hello, I live in Arizona. This is my second year of having chickens.

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A

AHay

In the Brooder
Apr 8, 2024
4
30
19
This is my second year keeping chickens. Last year I started with 4 and lost two to predators. I still have a Delaware named Babushka and a Saphire Gem named Bluebelle. I got four chicks 6 weeks ago--one Buff orpington and two California Whites. These chicks are growing and developing much faster than my first 4 chicks. They look pretty much fully feathered and they can fly. I have been keeping them in a 2.5 X 3" X 3" box with a small heater plate inside it. They no longer fit under it and seem to prefer not sleeping under it so I removed it. If I don't cover the box, they fly out into the house, and they are difficult to catch, so I am anxious to get them settled in the coop. I clipped their wings on one side to slow down their flying, but it hasn't worked. I think they could be introduced gradually to the other hens, but the nighttime temperatures are still in the 30s. Last night the temperature was 27, but that was colder than other nights. The hens have an upper roost area with a 4" long heater plate over their heads. There is a small wooden shed area inside the coop, and the opening to it could be screened so it could be used as a introduction cage. But, with the cold nighttime temperatures, I am not sure it's safe. I could put the little brooder heat plate in there with them, but it might not give off enough heat. The coop is fairly large, about 8' x 8' X 8'. I currently have it wrapped in heavy plastic to keep the cold wind and rain out. It has a solid wood back wall and the rest of the coop has wood walls that are 3' tall with double chicken wire on top, up to the metal roof.
 
Welcome to BYC, glad you joined! :welcome If you can't put them outside with a heat source (they are at that fine line where they don't need a heat source but you'd have to start acclimating them to the cold with a few day trips out, come back in at night.) Can you get a better box or cage? Getting a bigger box seems easier than clipping wings, I wouldn't do that. They're going to need them when they get integrated with the bigs and if you accidentally draw blood you'll have a new big issue to deal with. Is the coop predator proof now? Sorry that you lost 2. These newbies sound fun.
 
SandyRiverChick said:
Welcome to BYC, glad you joined! :welcome If you can't put them outside with a heat source (they are at that fine line where they don't need a heat source but you'd have to start acclimating them to the cold with a few day trips out, come back in at night.) Can you get a better box or cage? Getting a bigger box seems easier than clipping wings, I wouldn't do that. They're going to need them when they get integrated with the bigs and if you accidentally draw blood you'll have a new big issue to deal with. Is the coop predator proof now? Sorry that you lost 2. These newbies sound fun.
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Yes, the coop is predator-proof. The only predators we've had so far are the flying type and the coop is definitely safe from them. The hens free range during the warm part of the day, but we have a lot of large mature trees which helps protect them. I often put them in the fenced-in part of the yard which is pretty much totally covered with trees. I have read that California Whites are large chickens, notorious for flying high. The chicks wings are very long compared to the other chicks I raised. A friend lent me an introduction cage, but it is about as big as the box. I might be able to put the cage up on the hens roosing area where the large heater plate is located and they all can share it. That might solve the issue. Thanks!
 
Hello and welcome to BYC! :frow Glad you joined.
AHay said:
The hens have an upper roost area with a 4" long heater plate over their heads
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Why would fully feathered adult hens need a heat plate?
I would get a large cardboard box, lay it on its side with the top flap hanging down, bed it with thick dry bedding and put the heat plate in there with the legs up as high as possible so the chicks can fit under it. The box will help to trap the heat. The box or the area it is in will somehow need to be secured so the hens can't access it and the chicks can't get out.
 
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