How old should chicks be before transferring to the coop

[Cly]

Wow, that sounds like quite a set up that you have. It’s obvious that you know exactly what you’re doing. And I am really grateful for all the helpful suggestions. I can take a little bit of everything and apply it. Then maybe I will someday be in a position to advise LOL. Thank you very much for sharing your information.

 

[Cly]

Oh random things the little ones can get under like a small plastic dog crate, boards laying at on angle against a fence etc. Thanks U stormcrow

Oh, I follow you. Literal clutter. I thought maybe it was a special word for chicken raising LOL thank you, I didn’t think about that. That’s a good idea

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Honestly, I've been at this only 17, almost 18 months now. I did a lot of reading (Stoney's, Dummies Guide to...). I started a flock. Made mistakes. Found BYC. Did LOTS more reading. Improved some practices. Learned from more mistakes. Re did some things i though i had done right, but could have done better. Posted on BYC. Learned some more. Undid some of my "improvements". Doubled down on others.

I have a decent amount of chicken knowledge, within a very limited subset of chicken topics. I have a tiny amount of experience, doing. and just one piece of wisdom, in chickens (and in life).

There is no "One, Right, Way." There are thousands of wrong ways. Its complicated, and everything is a tradeoff.

Welcome to BYC, I hope you find it as helpful, supportive, and educational as I have.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Oh, I follow you. Literal clutter. I thought maybe it was a special word for chicken raising LOL thank you, I didn’t think about that. That’s a good idea

Yup, "enrichment" for the chickens.

Outside perches, boards, boxes, empty plastic plant pots on their sides, I've seen "chicken swings", grazing frames with fresh sprouts, @Phaedra Geiermann has a "chicken tower" modification of the grazing frame (which i am duplicating, with changes of my own), arbor tunnets with edible vines (often grapes) growing on them, and (where the plants survive the chickens) specimin plantings of fruit, ornamental grasses, etc which provide a vertical obtruction of sight lines, and sometimes seed or fruit treats as well.

 

[Cly]

Honestly, I've been at this only 17, almost 18 months now. I did a lot of reading (Stoney's, Dummies Guide to...). I started a flock. Made mistakes. Found BYC. Did LOTS more reading. Improved some practices. Learned from more mistakes. Re did some things i though i had done right, but could have done better. Posted on BYC. Learned some more. Undid some of my "improvements". Doubled down on others.

I have a decent amount of chicken knowledge, within a very limited subset of chicken topics. I have a tiny amount of experience, doing. and just one piece of wisdom, in chickens (and in life).

There is no "One, Right, Way." There are thousands of wrong ways. Its complicated, and everything is a tradeoff.

Welcome to BYC, I hope you find it as helpful, supportive, and educational as I have.

Yup, "enrichment" for the chickens.

Outside perches, boards, boxes, empty plastic plant pots on their sides, I've seen "chicken swings", grazing frames with fresh sprouts, @Phaedra Geiermann has a "chicken tower" modification of the grazing frame (which i am duplicating, with changes of my own), arbor tunnets with edible vines (often grapes) growing on them, and (where the plants survive the chickens) specimin plantings of fruit, ornamental grasses, etc which provide a vertical obtruction of sight lines, and sometimes seed or fruit treats as well.

So a regular a little obstacle course for chickens. More food for thought……

 

[Cly]

Honestly, I've been at this only 17, almost 18 months now. I did a lot of reading (Stoney's, Dummies Guide to...). I started a flock. Made mistakes. Found BYC. Did LOTS more reading. Improved some practices. Learned from more mistakes. Re did some things i though i had done right, but could have done better. Posted on BYC. Learned some more. Undid some of my "improvements". Doubled down on others.

I have a decent amount of chicken knowledge, within a very limited subset of chicken topics. I have a tiny amount of experience, doing. and just one piece of wisdom, in chickens (and in life).

There is no "One, Right, Way." There are thousands of wrong ways. Its complicated, and everything is a tradeoff.

Welcome to BYC, I hope you find it as helpful, supportive, and educational as I have.

Actually, you describe that so well. Knowing a little bit about a lot. And it is so true to life. Seems like most every experience we’ve ever had has been by trial and error, but it’s the journey that counts. Even if it is just raising chickens, LOL. I do like this site. I’ve only been on here twice because I don’t know why I have a heckuva time navigating. I try real hard to make sure that everybody who responds gets a reply back from me, hoping the message won’t go somewhere else. But in the two times I’ve been here, I just love the information. Not to mention the correspondence with people Thank you

 

[Cly]

She is cute as can be with that little head of hair, I mean feathers LOL. When I tuck my chicks in tonigh I will take a pic..

She is cute as can be with that little head of hair, I mean feathers LOL. When I tuck my chicks in tonigh I will take a pic..

 

[Cly]

She is cute as can be with that little head of hair, I mean feathers LOL. When I tuck my chicks in tonigh I will take a pic..

This is one of my chicks at one month old

 

[Cly]

This is one of my chicks at one month old

Sorry if I sent it twice. I often don’t know what I’m doing LOL

 

[Happy hen lover]

Here are some useful articles on integration:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/my-coop-brooder-and-integration.74591/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/introducing-new-chickens-using-the-“see-but-don’t-touch”-method.67839/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/adding-to-your-flock.47756/


Clutter: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

As far as the heat goes, you can wean them off heat when they're well-feathered. How long that takes depends on the individual bird. The Splits had been off heat and dealing with 50F nights for a while by the time they were 4 weeks old. But my 2 Langshan cockerels were slow-feathering and still semi-naked at 6 weeks.

Oh yay. Thanks 3 B's I tried to find you pics of clutter.