maybe bored? cold? not enough space?

[pipsqueekPDX]

My 5 week old chicks have been very noisy lately. They eye the top of the brooder, and will jump into the screen I have on the top. I'm worried about them. Are they just outgrowing the brooder and getting antsy? I'm not sure what I can do for them since two aren't quite feathered out. I don't think they're quite ready to go outside. I have them at 70 degrees right now, and its about 50 at night here. Should I taper their heat down and try and get them outside sooner than planned? Or should I try and extend their brooder a little higher and give them another perch? I'm just worried that they seem really panicked, and I want them to be heathy and happy girls. Any suggestions would be great, thanks forum pals!

 

[Firefighter Chick]

my first concern would be if they are too cold or too hot. do they have enough room to run around? are they trying to get away from the heat source or cram underneath it? i would observe them outside the brooder, or maybe just a few to see what they do. maybe add a stuffed toy or play with them or a larger brooder for more space.

 

[Time-Out]

Mine are always getting up to mischief. They're kids, and act like it!

 

[remuda1]

What size is the brooder, how many chicks, what is your heat source, what breed of chicks?

 

[Fred's Hens]

Quote:
This.

 

[cjsgrlsx3]

Do you have bunnies? I always but my chicks in with the bunnies when they are a few weeks old. They keep them warm and play with them. Weird but true!

 

[pipsqueekPDX]

The brooder is a "grand wardrobe" box from uhaul. It's like 2' wide x 4'long. I have 3 chicks. I have two perches in there and give them a snack once a day. I've had a heat lamp hanging from the ceiling on one side of the box with a shady area on the other side. I've been raising the lamp a bit every week to lower the temp by 5 degrees. Now they're at 70 degrees, which is the temp in the room they're in, so I've been unplugging the lamp unless is goes below 70, and I'll plug it in until it warms to around there. I know they've gotten too big for the space, but they have a few feet sq each, and I'm planning on getting them outside by Friday. Also, no bunnies, but that would be adorable I'm sure.

 

[GoldDogsMom]

Mine got real active at about 4 wks, bebopping all over the place. I didn't have a lid on the brooder box and they would perch on the edges so-moved them out at 5 wks! Does your room maintain temp at 70? I turned off the light at about 4 wks and let them "cool down" at night to about 65...

oh and that's plenty of room for 3 chicks, I had 12 in a 3'x4' box

 

[SteveBaz]

Yep if you have a closed coop for the 3 if you want I put my girls out every day and put them back every night for over 2 weeks and then one day did not put them back down stairs and they were in the coop forever. Just make sure they are fully feathered and let em go.

 

[pipsqueekPDX]

"fully feathered" means they have no more fuzz anywhere? Cause they're looking pretty feathered, just a few spots that are still a bit fuzzy, or a few feathers that still have some fuzz on the tips. Also, It's gotten to be around 55 during the day here, is putting them outside (when they've been in 65-70 degree room) too drastic? Cause I'd like to do what you said about putting them in the coop during the day til one night I don't take them in.