Help, moving chicks outside

[chhickenraiser]

You should be OK with 26 chickens and some ducks out there. If they are directly under the heat light for most of the time they are most likely too cold. If they are far away from the heat light most of the time they are probably too hot.

Sorry, I read the original post and didn't notice that there were already 9 pages.

 

[Kaatje64]

and they are having fun in their outdoor coop

 

[Dave from Maine]

Reading these posts reminds me why I wait until the middle of May to start chicks. They never go in the house. The brooder is set up in a shed. Wiating for warm weather means I don't have to worry about a power outage and heat lamps. It happened once and they huddled and shivered but none died. When I move them to the coop shut them in for a week. They get in the habit of eating, drinking and roosting in there. They train themselves to go in at night. I have had very little problems with older birds accepting new additions to the flock. I think much of that is because the coop and run have plenty of room.

 

[tthorn]

Thank you Dave from Maine, however I knew nothing about chickens and the only place to get them was either tsc or our feed store. I opted for the feed store since they seemed to know more. They would normally get them at the end of March but it was still way to cold so I got my babies on April 20 it was the very first day they were selling them. I don't want to do anything wrong and they end up dying on me...I would be very sad. We are hoping to get a lot of the coop up tomorrow so hopefully by next weekend (Easter weekend) they will be able to go out there.

 

[lisa7780]

My chicks are almost 3 weeks old and hope to move them out for some outside play time this weekend.

My question is when I move them out full time to their coop do I put food and water both outside in the run and inside their coop?

 

[grampsjim]

My chicks are almost 3 weeks old and hope to move them out for some outside play time this weekend.

My question is when I move them out full time to their coop do I put food and water both outside in the run and inside their coop?

Lisa, I tried putting it in both and it just got scattered all over the coop. I only keep mine out in the run now. If I know it's getting ready to rain I'll fashion a little "roof" over it so the feed doesn't get soaked. I propped a lid from a Rubbermaid plastic storage container on two concrete blocks and then put weight on it so it wouldn't blow off. They seemed to like that ok. They are finally getting in their coop at night all by themselves.

 

[JessicaThistle]

So, it's official. We are empty nesters. The chicks moved to the coop today.

They are almost 5 weeks old and I can't believe they are ready. I have the heat lamp set up and they know how to snuggle. Our nights are still getting down to around 40.

All day they have been in the coop/run and are just as happy as can be. They all mastered the ladder to the henhouse and going in and back out to eat and drink.

It is pretty fun to watch them establishing their pecking order. I have a Barred Rock and an Aracauna/EE that are the smartest and bravest of the flock. It will be interesting to see who wins it. They both march to the beat of a different drum and neither backs down from the other.

Next my 18th year old son leaves. What is this momma going to do?

 

[2TimeChickMom]

I read somewhere that if you leave them in their new house for a couple nights and not let them out, when you let them out into their new coop run they will automatically go back in their house at night. I guess it feels more like home to them and they feel safer in their house. I am moving my 2-3 week chicks out in a couple days to their new house which is in a fenced area within the older chickens pen so they will get used to each other before I combine them all. I intend to keep them in the house for a few days before letting them out to run. I will also put a heat lamp in their house because temps will be in the 40s most upcoming nights.

 

[HickoryHollow]

I always put mine out at 3 weeks. If it is really, really cold, I add an extra heat lamp. They have always been fine. As long as they have their feathers in!

 

[chickenlisa]

So, it's official. We are empty nesters. The chicks moved to the coop today.

Next my 18th year old son leaves. What is this momma going to do?

start adopting dogs, cats, kittens, hatch geese, ducks, and lots of chicks. Looking back, that's what I started doing as each of my kids headed off to college. I worry now what I may do when my 16 year old only daughter leaves in 2 years...4 boys leaving has made me a Crazy Cat Lady and a real Fowl woman...my husband better start worrying now.