Housing growing chicks (outgrowing brooder)

[NatJ]

That is one thing I am learning they do tell you in their own way if they are warm or not. Thank You

Yes, after you learn to recognize when they are comfortable, life gets much easier.

It's one of those things that is hard to explain to someone who is getting ready for their first batch of chicks, but very obvious after you've had them for a bit. And it saves a lot of time measuring with a thermometer and researching online!

For your chicks, already a week old and presumably healthy, it should be safe enough to just try something and watch the results. A strange place will make them huddle and peep, but they should settle down in a bit. If they aren't happier within half an hour or so, adjust things, or bring them back inside to the current setup and think about what to try next.

Chicks that have just been shipped tend to be cold, hungry, thirsty, and rather fragile. They need warmth, food, and water all at once. But a week later (like yours) they can stand a lot more (like a maybe-chilly place for half an hour, or having to find the food dish again because it's two feet further away than it was before, or whatever other changes may happen.) The older they get, the less fragile they are. By about 2 months, they are pretty close to adults in terms of what conditions are safe for them.

 

[Baileybunchx5]

Yes, after you learn to recognize when they are comfortable, life gets much easier.

It's one of those things that is hard to explain to someone who is getting ready for their first batch of chicks, but very obvious after you've had them for a bit. And it saves a lot of time measuring with a thermometer and researching online!

For your chicks, already a week old and presumably healthy, it should be safe enough to just try something and watch the results. A strange place will make them huddle and peep, but they should settle down in a bit. If they aren't happier within half an hour or so, adjust things, or bring them back inside to the current setup and think about what to try next.

Chicks that have just been shipped tend to be cold, hungry, thirsty, and rather fragile. They need warmth, food, and water all at once. But a week later (like yours) they can stand a lot more (like a maybe-chilly place for half an hour, or having to find the food dish again because it's two feet further away than it was before, or whatever other changes may happen.) The older they get, the less fragile they are. By about 2 months, they are pretty close to adults in terms of what conditions are safe for them.

Good information. I will keep an eye on them and see when they start acting like they need more room. For now they seem ok as they are only a week old. Everyone seems to be doing well at this point.

 

[Chicken poppy]

Good information. I will keep an eye on them and see when they start acting like they need more room. For now they seem ok as they are only a week old. Everyone seems to be doing well at this point.

You will know when they want more. Screaming, antsy, more frequent bullying/pecking, flightiness, etc.

Just a note, when you start getting them to go outside, they will crave more of it. Only do it if you plan on letting them out soon because i did that with mine and all they would think about was grass and they sat at the door screaming.

 

[cityhomesteading]

I’ve had mine in the garage in a large wire dog crate for the last 2 weeks with a brooder plate. I’m in the PNW and we had about a week of much cooler temps at night. Closer to freezing. So I put in more bedding and a small heater in the garage. Not right next to them, but in the vicinity to help bring the ambient air temp up to 50. The brooder plates do better when the ambient air is around 50ish. I’ve since turned the heater off and let the temps fluctuate in the garage. We go in and out to the backyard so the door opens but we don’t leave it open. There’s 3 that are a week younger than the others and they stay under the brooder more than the ones with more feathers. I’ll move all of them out to the coop when it’s done in the next week or so and keep the brooder plate out there since they’re not fully feathered and it’ll be in the 40s at night for a bit. But they’ll need more space and I don’t have another way to make a bigger space for 8 chicks. Everything I’ve read on here it seems like that’ll work out ok.