Kicked them out...now what?

[Squeaky McMurdo]

Well, I feel much better to see that some of you have no heat on your 4 week olds. *hides* I finally kicked mine out in the garage they are 11, 8, 7, and 4 weeks. I was afraid to since I had a 7 week old bantam cochin die a few weeks ago from what seemed like cold and my chicks huddle together even in the house. The oldest is my remaining cochin and she acts colder than the 4 week olds!

 

[Sharon Bee]

I've had heat on mine until two days ago. They are 4 1/2 weeks. It was too cold up until now. I'm in S. Ontario.

 

[3 NH reds]

Mine are 4 weeks old and I have been taking 4 out at a time in an enclosed dog run. They love it. They are quite easy to pick up as they come to my hand for treats and then I scoop them up before they know what is going on. LOL. They make that little chortle noise. Like as much as to say....."huh?" A few give a loud peep of concern. Too cute. Pretty soon I want to put them in the coop as they are outgrowing their brooder.

What does everyone use for a larger waterer? Feeder? I don't want to use the small ones. I want to be able to have enough food and water in the containers to last a couple of days at least so that when we go away for overnight they will be fine. Which leads me to ask another question....

What does everyone do when you want to go on vacation, etc?? This is my next worry. My hubby and I like to travel and our family is an overnight stay away. We haven't gone anywhere since getting my chicks a month ago.

I use nipple waterers so I put one in a 3 liter soda bottle and that lasts my 14 3 weekers a couple of days.
Yesterday I got them out of the basement and into the coop in a truck tool box separated with a wire dog cage so the 5 week older chicks don't bother them. The smell is what did me in. I changed the litter and the next day the smell was getting upstairs so out they went. I almost did not bring there brinsa chick heater out but I went to check on them and they were bunched up, man were they happy to have the heater. I think it is security as they can hide under it and the heat. It costs way less than lights so I am ok leaving it there for them. This is my third batch of chicks this spring and more eggs are in the incubator. The 5 week old birds were the ones that did not want to go outside. there are 4 of them and the 8 chicks 5 weeks older than them would chase them and peck. But I needed the toolbox brooder so out the went. They did fine, the older ones chased them some but they would chirp the " I know you are bigger and in charge " chirp.

 

[Sharon Bee]

My girls just put on their big girl panties and are in their new coop now. I carried them out one at a time. They aren't too sure and the brown ones are peeping louder than usual. They are 5 weeks old on Monday.

They are farther away too and not in our attached garage which was handy. I feel like I need a baby monitor. Lol.

 

[Squeaky McMurdo]

I finally sent them out to live in the coop a week and a half ago. Just in time too. Our garage is getting to 126 *F during the day. It drops to 30 at night still so I was very mervous, but they are happy to do a chick pile with the youngest ones in the middle so everybody is still alove and happy to be outside. Next objective: trusting them to range the backyard and not forget where their coop is. they did go back in today, I'm still too nervous to leave the coop open for them though. I need to build a gate so they can have their run.