I kicked them out yesterday...

[howfunkyisurchicken]

I ordered 12 chicks from Ideal about 2 weeks ago, they sent me 24 altogether. So I had 2 brooders up and running in my house. 2x the brooder making 2x the mess, the dust was killing me. So they had to go outside to the big kid hutch. Our high yesterday was 46° the low 30°. I worried about them all night long. When I checked on them this morning, they were all running around, happy as can be doing little chick things. The thermometer under the heat lamps read 87° the one one the opposite side of the brooder read 35° and they were all eating, drinking and flapping around like a bunch of crazies, not huddled under the light like I expected. Guess that just goes to show they're alot tougher then we give them credit for

 

[bj taylor]

so glad to read this. i have 26 one week old babies. my friend was going to take half & then at last second couldn't. my brooder is not set up for so many, so i figured in a week i would move them to the coop & set it up w/heat lamp & all. hopefully all will go well

 

[Glasshen]

It was brave of you, and you must have been very relieved. Now you have freedom to acquire baby chicks in all seasons, hmmmmmm....

 

[crystal195655]

I was really worried about my babies too....I brooded them in the coop from day 1. They are 2 weeks old now and I have raised the heat lamp already and will do it again in a few days.....every morning when I check on them they are near the heat lamp, but not directly under it. They are tougher than I ever imagined. So glad I didn't try to brood them in the house or even the garage for that matter. However, I must say that I didn't have older chickens, so it was easy for me to make a brooder in the coop.

 

[chicharomirinda]

good to know they are okay out in the coop. I am getting a new batch of chicks in April and hope to put the brooder in the coop this time. I brooded my first batch of chicks in September and boy, was the dust massive in the house! I think the nights shouldn't be too cold here in April.

 

[audrey02026]

I'm getting chicks on April 9th and have a empty coop I could brood them in with a heat lamp. I'm only getting 9 though would that be too few to try and brood outside in the coop. Do they need more to keep each other warm?

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

I'm getting chicks on April 9th and have a empty coop I could brood them in with a heat lamp. I'm only getting 9 though would that be too few to try and brood outside in the coop. Do they need more to keep each other warm?

What are your average temps for April? Our low last night was 30, and my chicks are still doing great. They're in a hutch (not a coop) that's about 2ft H x 2ft W x 4ft T, or something like that. Yesterday I wrapped an old shower curtain around one end to cut down on some draft (half of the front is open faced) since we had some breezes yesterday and it was calling for snow today. In the hutch I have 2 100 watt bulbs, and they're doing a good job of keeping the chicks warm. I'm so glad I put them out, though I miss my chick t.v, I'm not constantly cleaning dust off of everything. I think the environment in the hutch is much more like they're being raised by a broody hen. They pop under the light for a few seconds and then run on out into the cold just like hen raised chickies would. They're also feathering out MUCH faster then they were in the house. I had to work yesterday, and when I got home and checked on them I was like "where did all of my cute babies go!" They've made a major leap into the awkward/ugly phase

 

[audrey02026]

My average temp is about the same 30-40 but it can get lower. The coop is a raised coop and is small it's only about 4x6. I have a larger coop that they will be in when they get big enough. I don't have electric in this coop but I do have an outlet just outside of it and I have an extension cord in there now for a heated waterer (I have a couple of pullets in there that I plan to move in with my other girls next week). I am nervous about the heat lamp being left on even though I've had no issues with the heated waterer so far. It would be awesome to be able to keep them outside though.

 

[Ole rooster]

I realize mine are older, almost 9 weeks, but they have been outside with mama since day 3. We've had some 22 degree morning's but out they all go. Now at nearly 9 weeks and completely rejected by mama and fully feathered in, forecast for tomorrow is for 18 degrees as the low, so we'll how hearty they are. It's very windy and that makes it seem colder. But for some reason with my coop being insulated the wind blowing as hard as it is, inside just feels warm. Really strange. When the chicks were 2 or 3 days old we had some freezing mornings. I have the outside water and I had a quart waterer and it didn't freeze but the one outside did. It just has to be warmer inside.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

I get pretty sketched out about having the heat lamps on all the time too. I just make sure I secure them.....and then secure them again. That way if the clamp should fall apart or something, the lamp wont fall. I really want an Ecoglow so I can nix the heat lamps altogether. That might be something you want to look at, their rather inexpensive and don't produce any light so the chicks can be on a proper sleep schedule. Good luck!