Inside Brooder advice needed.

[tsnuttall]

Ok, first time hatcher and chick mama. I last bought Pullets who were 8-10 weeks old and they could go right into the coop. I've tried my hand at hatching, which was very fulfilling and much fun! Now I have 4 2/12 week old chicks who are hellions. I had them in a puppy play yard, but they are getting too big for them. I found an old rabbit run in our son's closet that's about 2.5 feet tall, so thought I'd set it up around the play yard so they could explore a little more while I'm cleaning the other, plus to see how they'd do in it. I put them in it and closed the bedroom door, for 10 minutes! When I went back in one was already perched on the top of it, ready to explore the rest of the room!! OMG! They don't stay little long do they? Already can fly that high? What to do now? They're wings look fully feathered, they have tail feathers, I live in SE GA, temps in winter can range from 80 to 40, so I don't think I can put them out in their coop yet. Does anyone have any advice? (The run is plenty big about 6' round, but obviously not tall enough. I'm at a loss right now, the playpen is about 36" in diameter.

 

[DobieLover]

Ok, first time hatcher and chick mama. I last bought Pullets who were 8-10 weeks old and they could go right into the coop. I've tried my hand at hatching, which was very fulfilling and much fun! Now I have 4 2/12 week old chicks who are hellions. I had them in a puppy play yard, but they are getting too big for them. I found an old rabbit run in our son's closet that's about 2.5 feet tall, so thought I'd set it up around the play yard so they could explore a little more while I'm cleaning the other, plus to see how they'd do in it. I put them in it and closed the bedroom door, for 10 minutes! When I went back in one was already perched on the top of it, ready to explore the rest of the room!! OMG! They don't stay little long do they? Already can fly that high? What to do now? They're wings look fully feathered, they have tail feathers, I live in SE GA, temps in winter can range from 80 to 40, so I don't think I can put them out in their coop yet. Does anyone have any advice? (The run is plenty big about 6' round, but obviously not tall enough. I'm at a loss right now, the playpen is about 36" in diameter.

If you don't have any birds in the coop, I'd move them out with a MHP or brooder plate and keep the coop and run as dry as possible. I raised my day old chicks out in the coop in a built-in brooder with a brooder plate with a towel over it with temperatures that dropped as low as 23F and they absolutely thrived.
I'd you can't do that, buy a cheap roll of screen and clip it to the top of the playpen to keep them from flying out.
I also suggest making a 'baby bottle' to help keep the brooder dry. They are inexpensive to make and a great tool to have around.

 

[tsnuttall]

Ok, first time hatcher and chick mama. I last bought Pullets who were 8-10 weeks old and they could go right into the coop. I've tried my hand at hatching, which was very fulfilling and much fun! Now I have 4 2/12 week old chicks who are hellions. I had them in a puppy play yard, but they are getting too big for them. I found an old rabbit run in our son's closet that's about 2.5 feet tall, so thought I'd set it up around the play yard so they could explore a little more while I'm cleaning the other, plus to see how they'd do in it. I put them in it and closed the bedroom door, for 10 minutes! When I went back in one was already perched on the top of it, ready to explore the rest of the room!! OMG! They don't stay little long do they? Already can fly that high? What to do now? They're wings look fully feathered, they have tail feathers, I live in SE GA, temps in winter can range from 80 to 40, so I don't think I can put them out in their coop yet. Does anyone have any advice? (The run is plenty big about 6' round, but obviously not tall enough. I'm at a loss right now, the playpen is about 36" in diameter.

If you don't have any birds in the coop, I'd move them out with a MHP or brooder plate and keep the coop and run as dry as possible. I raised my day old chicks out in the coop in a built-in brooder with a brooder plate with a towel over it with temperatures that dropped as low as 23F and they absolutely thrived.
I'd you can't do that, buy a cheap roll of screen and clip it to the top of the playpen to keep them from flying out.
I also suggest making a 'baby bottle' to help keep the brooder dry. They are inexpensive to make and a great tool to have around.
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I have a separate coop that only has my Roo in it, but he can go back in with the hens. Maybe I can get an extra long extension cord for my heat source. I have a wall mounted one in the hen's coop, but they don't really need it. I'll have to see what I can do today, it's going to be 78... That's the problem here, you never know what you'll get in the winter!!

 

[DobieLover]

I'll have to see what I can do today, it's going to be 78... That's the problem here, you never know what you'll get in the winter!!

They wouldn't need the heat source with that temperature! But that is one of the many benefits of a brooder plate or MHP, they work great when the temp goes up as the chicks just don't go under them to warm up.

 

[igorsMistress]

They're ready to head outside to their coop and your temps are fine. A heat plate acts like a mama, the chicks can get under it to warm up when they're cold but still get out and explore.

 

[tsnuttall]

Thanks everyone! I think my job today is to clean the Roo's bachelor pad a let him free range today. Letting him visit with his grown girls at night. I will keep an eye on them, while they begin their journey to outside for stress, but I think they'll do fine. They look so big now, but I bet they'll look small again, once in a bigger house.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I agree they can be outside already. I had 2 day old chicks brooding outdoors down in the 40s at night. As long as they have protection from drafts and the option of heat if they want it (since you're temps are fluctuating so much it's a good idea to give them access to heat for now) they should be fine.