I have the master coop and run for the big chickens and next to it I have a small coop with attached run. I use this little coop for chicken jail/hospital/nursery.
I put my 3 week old silkies out there this weekend with heat. They were getting so big, so quick, that I just wanted to get them out of the box I had them in. Heat wise they are fine. They have the Brinsea Eco Glow brooder that they had when they were in the livingroom for the first 3 weeks. But I was wondering if this is ok. They seem to be afraid to venture out of the coop part and into the run part. They have problems going up and down the ramp, but that's not what's stopping them. They just like to stay in one of the 2 nest boxes and seem afraid to leave. When I check in on them from time to time, they are never under the brooder for extra heat, they are just huddled together. I put them under there, but they walk out from under it every time. When they were in the livingroom, they didn't stay under it much except for at night. So I'm guessing that they'll seek out the heat when needed. When I put them in the run part, they kind of play around a little, but end up huddling in the corner of it until I physically have to help them back up the ramp into the enclosed coop part that has the heat and food/water. They seem to not know what or how to use the ramp and are too afraid to even go near it.
It's the age that I'm worried about. They seem so young to be outside. But then my broody hatched 2 chicks the same time these silkies were born and they are so much more advanced. They already live with the older flock, free range (with mommy of course) they take dust baths, they jump up on the high roosts and ladders and eat everything...meanwhile the little silkies are afraid of their own shadows and don't even know what to do with a wax worm. (My DH says that I should eat one to show them how to do it.
)
It's weird, I treat the 2 sets of chicks totally different based on their upbringing and I'm just wondering if I'm being a little too quick with the silkies b/c I feel completely at ease with the broody's chicks.
Am I expecting too much from the silkie chicks, or is this ok to put them outside already.
I put my 3 week old silkies out there this weekend with heat. They were getting so big, so quick, that I just wanted to get them out of the box I had them in. Heat wise they are fine. They have the Brinsea Eco Glow brooder that they had when they were in the livingroom for the first 3 weeks. But I was wondering if this is ok. They seem to be afraid to venture out of the coop part and into the run part. They have problems going up and down the ramp, but that's not what's stopping them. They just like to stay in one of the 2 nest boxes and seem afraid to leave. When I check in on them from time to time, they are never under the brooder for extra heat, they are just huddled together. I put them under there, but they walk out from under it every time. When they were in the livingroom, they didn't stay under it much except for at night. So I'm guessing that they'll seek out the heat when needed. When I put them in the run part, they kind of play around a little, but end up huddling in the corner of it until I physically have to help them back up the ramp into the enclosed coop part that has the heat and food/water. They seem to not know what or how to use the ramp and are too afraid to even go near it.
It's the age that I'm worried about. They seem so young to be outside. But then my broody hatched 2 chicks the same time these silkies were born and they are so much more advanced. They already live with the older flock, free range (with mommy of course) they take dust baths, they jump up on the high roosts and ladders and eat everything...meanwhile the little silkies are afraid of their own shadows and don't even know what to do with a wax worm. (My DH says that I should eat one to show them how to do it.
It's weird, I treat the 2 sets of chicks totally different based on their upbringing and I'm just wondering if I'm being a little too quick with the silkies b/c I feel completely at ease with the broody's chicks.
Am I expecting too much from the silkie chicks, or is this ok to put them outside already.
