How long can i keep my chicks in the house

[one old chick]

hi there, i joined BYC yesterday because after reading so many threads on so many different subjects about raising chick by hand that i felt compelled to join and hopefully gain some insight regarding my new little flock. this is my first hand raised flock. i have had them a week today. i was told they were only a few days old when i purchased them. they are all healthy and active and seem to be thriving . i currently have them in the house in a large tub with a red bulb heat light, shavings, water, and starter. i find myself checking on them constantly to monitor water, food, and comfort level. so far so good. as i said i have had them a week today. all of them (9) have most of their wing feathers, i notice that they on occasion try to fly, straight up. first question is, is this normal behavior or is it a sign o something wrong? also, they seem to have almost doubled in size so second question is, how fast do they grow out of the brooder? i like having them in the house as it is still so cold here i would be afraid the lamp wouldn't be enough to keep them warm in an out building at only a week and a half old. so third question, when is it safe to put them in an out building and not be concerned with the cold. my brooder temp is at around 95 but i am reducing it this week as i have noticed they don't always sleep directly under the light so perhaps it can now be adjusted to reduce the temp a little. sorry this is so long just trying to cover all major concerns. thank you in advance for any helpful input.

 

[MotownMenace]

If you could keep the brooder at the right tempature you could move them outside, as long as they're in a fairly sealed building. You just don't want any drafts blowing on them. If you have concerns about being able to maintain tempature just wait untill 5-6 weeks old when they have more feathers and body mass to stay warmer. My brooder is outside and I keep day old chicks out there, but it's a sealed room and I can keep the area under the heat lamp 100+ no problem.

The trying to jump and fly is normal, just make sure you have some sort of soft top so they can't jump out, since they'd have no way to get back in they could die from not having enough heat outside of the brooder.

Outgrowing the brooder depends on how many birds and the size of the brooder. Around 5 weeks the males will start maturing and getting agressive and if you have too many in a too small space you'll know pretty quick when they start fighting.

 

[TehLizardKing]

Hey One Old Chick....

You're doing ok so far! except one thing...im a little worried about the temps. If they are huddling under the lamp it means they are a bit too cold. They should be kinda spread out over the brooder space. They can come out from under heat at about 3-4 weeks, and outside at about 5-6. I live in England where it's never properly warm, so i have to introduce them outside slowly.

Also, how many birds do you have? I love my quail, and keep them for eggs, not meat, so i have three birds that are my favourites, and live in the house. Two Coturnix, one is the only survivor from a flock of eight after a mink attack, and the other is her daughter that we bought back from someone who we gave some eggs to, and one African Harlequin quail whose flock were also slughtered.

About the flying straight up...yes it's normal and it's called 'boinking', and they do that when they feel scared. You have to be careful they dont hit their heads on something hard! It's horrible to see a careless poultry keeper who hasn't padded/netted the top of their quail coop, and one of the poor birds splits it's head open in fright....

Anyway, if you want any more info, just give me a holler!

 

[one old chick]

i am so sorry i am new on this site and for some reason my post ended up in the quail area. thank you so much for the input i will put a screen over top of the brooder. oh, and i think i am doing ok with the temp inside mostly because i check on them so much i can see the comfort level and they are usually all spread out everywhere none really sleep for any length of time directly under the light except at night two of the smaller ones sleep together under the light. during the day i move the lamp off some as the room temp is pretty warm and they seem to be more comfortable when i do that. i am hoping i don't have but one rooster as i purchased all pullets but one (not sure about that either). so sorry to hear about the mink attack. i worry about when the time comes to put my chickens out because we have woods around us and i've heard coyote are in the area and a fischer cat. they will be contained in a safe area till they grow but eventually i would like them to free range during the day. again, thank you for the advice

 

[James the Bald]

Only because I am confused more than I normally am, what kind of chicks are you raising?

 

[one old chick]

i am raising backyard chickens. i accidentally posted on the quail thread. so sorry