Jumping/flying

[SunnySideChik]

So my chicks are I think 3-4 weeks old they have started trying to jump out of the tote I have them in and sometimes one will hit the lamp, they also open their wings like they want to fly. They do it all together most of the time. I have 6 chicks so once one starts it gets the others to start. Is this normal? Should I be worried that one day I'll come home and one or more will be out? How can I get them to stop?

 

[mrv19]

Yes its normal. Mine are 3 1/2 weeks old and can fly up a good few feet. One low-level flew several feet yesterday from the edge of her brooder (they like to roost on the edge) to my shoulder when i was squatting down to take a picture of them. The only thing you can do is put a mesh cover on brooder or move to coop

I am in the process of transitioning mine outdoors (during days so far)...weather has been a challenge since we went from 70 degrees fri to snow today. But when in the brooder with cover off they spendthe majority of time roosting on edges

 

[SunnySideChik]

Should I put something in the tote so they can sit on it? I would love to start moving mine outside but living in Virginia the weather is all over the place. We set plants outside yesterday to get some sun and forgot about them and now we are hoping the wind and cold didn't hurt them.

 

[mrv19]

Im in MA so trust me I know spring weather woes. Mine tolerate lower temps just fine ive let them play out in mid 50 degree weather as long as the coop hovered over 60, but with nights dipping into thr teens and the fact that i only have 4 chicks i need to add a warm place to huddle in there before handing them their eviction papers lol

....put a roost of some sort in they will definitely love that. But DO NOT trust them to stay in the brooder without a cover at this age.

 

[SunnySideChik]

I have added a tension bar that is low about 1/2 inch from the pine shaving and an inch from the bottom of the tote they seem to like it. It's funny watching some of them try to balance only 1 so far can keep her balance. But as soon as I put it in they have calmed down. I have the lid over half of the tote and foil over half of the open part where the lamp is so I can control the temp so they only have maybe a 6inch by 6inch square to try getting out of most of the time we have the top of the tote completely covered with a small space for ventilation since there is a small chill where they are

 

[azygous]

Your chicks are trying to tell you they need more space! Six chicks in a space smaller than eight square feet is going to be a big problem for them. You need to think about moving them into their coop asap.

Meanwhile, your chicks would be able to handle periods away from their heated brooder to enjoy romps outdoors. Choose a sunny, calm day of 65-70F and let them run and get in some low level flight. If you have a big backyard, they'll have a blast.

What I used to do, back when I brooded indoors, was to load the critters into a small pet crate. Then, once outside, I opened the door to the crate and hung back and watched them. It would take several minutes for one to get brave enough to step out, and then all the others quickly followed. They scoped things out first, then took off.

Don't worry about them running away! They will keep the crate in sight and return to it when they begin to chill. Once all have gone back inside the crate, then just close the door and carry them back indoors.

Try to let them out for these field trips every day, gradually increasing the length. Also, after a few days of these excursions, they will be able to handle cooler temperatures, also. By the time they reach four weeks or so, they will be adjusted to the cooler temps and should take the move to the coop with ease.

As they become acclimated to cooler temps, they will want to stay out longer, and eventually, it may be a problem getting them back into the crate again. While you have them outside, it's a good idea to train them to come to you. Use a favorite treat in a container that you'll use every time. Also use a verbal cue of your choice each time you call them. Chicks will learn very quickly to come to you when they see and hear those cues, so you never need to chase your chickens and try to catch them. All I need to do to get my chickens back into their run is to hold up the little white carton of meal worms and all twenty are inside in a mater of 60 seconds!