Moving baby chicks to coop

[TLemon68]

My chicks are a little over 2 weeks old. I have been keeping them in Rubbermaid tub for a brooder but they are getting big and crowded. After the biggest one jumped out this morning I am considering moving them to our coop maybe with a heat source like a heating pad? My coop is 5x7. We have a heating lamp but thinking a heating pad might be safer? We do not have electricity in the coop but it is close enough I can run an extension cord temporarily. The temps here in Mo lows in 50's at night and mid 70's during day. Any thoughts/opinions would be appreciated. TIA!

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

Move them to the coop with heat plate or MHP (mama heating pad)

Good luck

Gary

 

[andreanar]

I feel your pain. I have 5 weeks olds in my house in quarantine before sending them to the coop. I have no place else to quarantine them.

 

[Sarah B.]

If you have chickens have the chicks isolated because if the chickens don't take well to the chicks they could easily kill them. I'd not let them roam outside at night, at least for the next two weeks, because it'll get cold. Its recommended to move chicks out on week 8-10 but that's being revised and turned down to 4 (or was it 5?) weeks, so its a bit risky. And if you're gonna move them you NEED to have a heat lamp/ MHT/ Ecoglow. They won't be able to sustain their own heat until they're 8 weeks old. Good luck.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

If you have chickens have the chicks isolated because if the chickens don't take well to the chicks they could easily kill them. I'd not let them roam outside at night, at least for the next two weeks, because it'll get cold. Its recommended to move chicks out on week 8-10 but that's being revised and turned down to 4 (or was it 5?) weeks, so its a bit risky. And if you're gonna move them you NEED to have a heat lamp/ MHT/ Ecoglow. They won't be able to sustain their own heat until they're 8 weeks old. Good luck.

Uhm, no. My chicks were raised in the coop with a heat plate and they weened themselves off heat at 4 weeks old temps in the 30's at night.

Gary

 

[Sarah B.]

Oh. Yeah, well I guess its different for different climates. I live in Iceland so its very cold at night here. My chicks used their Ecoglow until they were about seven weeks old. Now they just prefer to bundle up on top of each other. . .

 

[azygous]

Please tell us where you are and what season you're in. As the last few posters have pointed out, climate and ambient temps make a big difference how you go about moving chicks outside.

I applaud you for realizing your chicks are perfectly able to make this move to the coop now. Too many folks keep their chicks in confining brooders way past the time they should be outside living like real chickens.

Transitioning your chicks depends on the climate where you are. If you're enjoying mild fall weather, your chicks may need heat only at night. If you are going to allow them outdoors during the day, I would choose only windless days and monitor them for chilling. It will be another week before they can withstand temps down to 50F (10C) during the day with no heat.

At night, a heating pad would be perfect. Since your chicks have never used a heating pad cave system, I suggest a cat napping pod in the coop with the heating pad under it on a low to medium setting. This will give the chicks a feeling of security as well as warmth at night, and quick warmups during the day.

I did this with some chicks last summer, and they loved their pod so much, I moved it out into the run for them to nap in during the day. They used it until they were so big, not all would fit in it at once.

 

[TLemon68]

I am in Mo and it is Fall. Temps during the day 60-70, nights 50's. I really like this idea as I was struggling to come up with a "cave" for the heating pad. So you just put the heating pad under this? How did you keep it clean?

 

[lazy gardener]

I recommend that you build a MHP cave. They are not at all difficult to put together. Just be sure your heating pad has a constant on feature, and be sure the the heating pad and frame are both contained as a single unit inside a pillow case that is tightly wrapped around the HP/frame unit. Train your chicks to the MHP cave while you have them in the house, then you can move them out to the coop with their MHP cave. You should put some sort of covering over your tote, but be sure it is safe regarding your heat lamp. You could also move them to an appliance box to give them more room. But since your coop is ready, I'd put them there if I were in your shoes.

My chicks brood in a coop with a MHP cave. They wean themselves off the cave at 4 - 5 weeks, with night time temps between 30 and 40*F. I use a heavy duty extension cord with GFC at the house, and a power surge GFC at the coop, weather proof outlets at both house and coop.

 

[azygous]

I stuck Glad Press'n Seal on the cat pod. Easy to wipe poop off that way. It still got plenty dirty 'cause, what can I say, chickens are slobs.

You could make a heating pad pod and stick it inside a cardboard box. That way you have a heating pad cave! And in a few weeks, you can use the pod without the box to wean them off the heating pad.