how long should I keep chicks in brooder?

[trunkman]

How long do I keep my chicks in a brooder? They are already trying to jump and fly at 1 week so I'm wondering if they will be too big in a couple weeks to have them in a brooder, if so I guess I'll have to cover the brooder so they can't fly out and get themselves in trouble...BTW, I've got 7 chicks and have another 10 coming in two weeks, I'm not obsessed!

 

[Shelly_WNC]

mine are still in a brooder at 4 1/2 weeks ... but they have about out grown the brooder. I do keep a screen on top of the brooder , because they definitely fly out now.

 

[underground chickenman]

Depends on the size of your brooder. Mine is big enough to leave them in there until they are about 8-10 weeks, depending on how many are in there. My brooder is 4x4 and 2ft tall. It has a wire roof and top 10 inches of the sides are wire.

UGCM

 

[blake101]

Quote:
I have 6 chicks in a 3x3x3, how many weeks do you think I can keep them in that?

 

[Settler'sDreamFarm]

I keep mine in a brooder until they outgrow it..... you can tell when they are too big in the brooder! Mine use to fly out of the brooder when I opened it

 

[Lollipop]

Rule of thumb..... Brooders are set at 95 degrees the first week, decreasing 5 degrees each week until normal outside night time temps are reached, oooor the chicks have full feathering accross their backs. The reason this is important is that chicks lungs are located close to their backs. Unfeathered backs and low temps will kill them. Hope this helps.......Pop

 

[spankyleatherlips]

I moved my heat lamp into my outdoor chicken coop. I turn it on at sundown when the chicks are locked into the hutch, then I tarp the top and sides and leave the front of the run open. I have kept the wind guards on the coop until outdoor temps stabilize more. they outgrew the brooder which was a small mobile rabbit cage. I have 10 chicks, but I have another chicken coop to build. I will only house 3 hens in the one pictured and 4 hens in the other. I will take the rest out to my bosses farm.

 

[Chickens-246]

One needs keep chicks in a temperature controlled brooder till they are fully feathered and/or the night time temperature lows are equivalent to the current brooder temperature setting. I find the heavy breeds I raise this is about 6 weeks to transfer to the coop.

 

[andalusn]

I have currently have 3 peeps (2 buckeye & 1 buff orphington) that are now two weeks old in a RM storage container with a wire mesh top and under a heat lamp to one end. The boards on the other end serve two uses, keep the screen on (just in case) and to keep some of the heat in. The "brooder" has been in my barn which is very open. I did not see a need to move it into the feed room so it's in the aisleway.

When they are bigger, fully feathered then I plan to move them to my nursery pen until they are big enough to move into the main hen house. I am hoping the approach will let me work on opening the door during the day so they can free range and integrate into the flock easier. My two broody hens moved in together into the other nursery pen and they spend the day with the flock or off to the side and nobody seems to care. Get spooked or want to go to bed the chicks ( 1 month old) run to their nursery pen and the mom's follow. I am taking this idea from them to work the newer 3 chicks into the group. I am noticing that one of the mom hens is very interested in the newer peeps when they get to chirping a lot so who knows, she may take them too. I do see my Cochin hen mothering or keeping warm the two chicks that are not hers but live in the pen with her. Each hen has thier own house in the pen but share mothering duties. This borrom picture is my empty nursery pen, its 6x6 ft, 4 ft tall and I have mesh zip tied to it but when the older chicks move in they will be too big for the upper squares that are not covered. I also place a sheet of siding on the top to keep birds from flying out when I don't want them too.

 

[bds613]

Quote:
I really like the set up you have there...very nice!