how long can chicks stay in a brooder

[Janedu]

We are going out of town and I want to leave my chicks in the brooder (Large puppy playpen so they will have space.) in our garage. They will be about 9 weeks old. Will this be ok? I'll put them outside in the coop when we return.

 

[FrostRanger]

As long as they have food and water they'll be fine. How long will they be alone? If it's more than a day or 2 I'd have someone check in on them to make sure they still have food and water

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I usually integrate my chicks with my older flock by 8 weeks. Some do it at 5 weeks or even earlier. Do you have an older, established flock? If not, and your coop is ready, you should be able to move them to the outdoor coop right away. They're fully feathered and don't need heat.