"I'm A Real Bird!!"

[sean_wonder]

Ever since growing in their wings, my chicks have been flapping and fluttering around as much and as often as possible. I'm absolutely positive in their little brains they believe they're real, flying birds. Either way, I almost had an incident in which Goose, one of the chicks, flew out of the brooder. The walls are decently high too, she just barely managed to get on top of the waterer and had the opportunity to hop right out. I've seen them jump up pretty high with excitement as well but again, I believe the walls are decently high and would find it rather uncomfortable to go any higher. What's the issue? Should I get them some toys to distract them from their flappy antics? I was going to start providing a roost even though they're a week old-- they already love perching on our fingers whenever we hold them. But now that they're suddenly able to take short airborne bursts... I'm just not sure what to do to stop them from escaping/getting separated on accident.

 

[DobieLover]

I clipped a piece of screen over the top of my brooder using binder clips. They will not stop trying to fly out of the brooder even if you offer "toys" as distractions. They are birds and want to fly.

 

[sean_wonder]

I clipped a piece of screen over the top of my brooder using binder clips. They will not stop trying to fly out of the brooder even if you offer "toys" as distractions. They are birds and want to fly.

Interesting! Never really thought chickens felt any need for using their wings beyond keeping balance on a perch. What kind of screen would you recommend?

 

[DobieLover]

Interesting! Never really thought chickens felt any need for using their wings beyond keeping balance on a perch. What kind of screen would you recommend?

I just picked up the cheapest roll of screen I could find at Lowe's, cut it to fit with about 2" overlap and clipped it down around the brooder top with about 6 big binder clips I had laying around.
Mind you, I moved my chicks out to their coop when they were 5.5 weeks old. These were were my first chicks so the coop was ready for them.

 

[sean_wonder]

I just picked up the cheapest roll of screen I could find at Lowe's, cut it to fit with about 2" overlap and clipped it down around the brooder top with about 6 big binder clips I had laying around.
Mind you, I moved my chicks out to their coop when they were 5.5 weeks old. These were were my first chicks so the coop was ready for them.

Yeah, I'm planning on moving my chicks out as soon as they're four weeks old. Some think its early but I've ready plenty and heard plenty more that it'll be fine. My coop is already built and we coated it rather heavily in polyurethane the second we built it, so the fumes should be long since gone once they move in. They're only a week and 2 days old

 

[Kris5902]

Yes, some breeds are definitely fliers! And they are going to want to explore... I used several old window screens and a roll of the screen material slapled to the side of my 4x4 plywood brooder box. With a strip of leftover wood flooring across the top to support it. And they will figure that out too, and fly out when you open the screen to feed and water them!

Have you built out their coop/run? If not you’re going to want to start that ASAP! They grow very quickly...

 

[Kris5902]

Oh, and I have two laying pullets, 4 1/2 months, that still “fly” 10 feet or so long and up onto my shoulders! What breeds do you have? Are you going to start a thread with pictures of them soon? (I want to see some cute little Chickies!)

 

[sean_wonder]

Have you built out their coop/run? If not you’re going to want to start that ASAP! They grow very quickly..

Yep! Built it the day I got them! Coated in polyurethane and placed where I want.

Oh, and I have two laying pullets, 4 1/2 months, that still “fly” 10 feet or so long and up onto my shoulders! What breeds do you have? Are you going to start a thread with pictures of them soon? (I want to see some cute little Chickies!)

Oh I do hope my chickies will fly up on my shoulders one day!! They are all Silkied Easter Eggers and I literally just made the post on them!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/the-fraggles.1298987/

 

[rosemarythyme]

Some scrap hardware cloth works well as a brooder cover. Chicken wire can work but you really want to check the size of their little heads vs the openings, and make sure it's not a match.