Moving Chicks Outside

[Chickie Trio]

Hi everyone! I'm super new to raising chickens & I have 3, 1 month old chicks who have most of their feathers (not completely feathered on their heads). One's foot was injured last week & they've been in separate brooders ever since. They've been out of their indoor brooders to socialize together & I feel that now all 3 can be contained together again, but I think they are too big to be in the brooder together. Their coop is not insulated but is well constructed & when I went to check today after a 3 day noreaster, it was bone dry inside. I'm in New England so the overnight temperature is still mildly unpredictable but nothing too dramatic - mostly hanging between 50-65 degrees. Their indoor brooder has a heat lamp that I did not know to gradually move further away, so they're used to having that.

Looks like it will start to rain overnight tonight & continue all day tomorrow.

My questions are:
1. Whether in or out, is it ok to leave the birds together overnight if the injured one seems healed & they've been in their run together all day without issue?

2. Will they be too cold out there & is the temperature a life threatening gamble?

3. If the answer is to bring them inside, do they all 3 go in together or put the one back in its own so they're not cramped?

4. If they stay out, will I open the coop door tomorrow if it's raining?

Going to read the forums to see if the answer is there while I wait! Thanks so much!

 

[DobieLover]

1. Whether in or out, is it ok to leave the birds together overnight if the injured one seems healed & they've been in their run together all day without issue?

They'll be fine together as long as the recovered chick is moving normally.

2. Will they be too cold out there & is the temperature a life threatening gamble?

No. If they are in your house, I would remove their heat lamp now and give them a huddle box to sleep in. A box on it's side with the side and bottom flaps cut off and the top flap hanging down and bedding in it. When you are ready to move them to the coop, place the huddle box in a corner is such a way that no drafts will blow inside the box and toss an old towel over the top of the box to further trap heat.

3. If the answer is to bring them inside, do they all 3 go in together or put the one back in its own so they're not cramped?

Leave them out.

4. If they stay out, will I open the coop door tomorrow if it's raining?

If they have any area sheltered from the rain, yes.

Can you post a picture of your setup? Do you have Corid on hand "just in case"?

 

[DobieLover]

Can you post a picture of your setup?

Eeep! I saw it. You need to expand the run to about 5 times the size. You will need to beef up security on that coop.
I suggest you start another thread in the Coop & Run Forum for suggestions on how to increase ventilation in that coop and modify it to better suit your birds and you.
Those things are horribly over priced for what you get and ALWAYS GROSSLY overstate the number of birds they can house. It should be illegal!

 

[Chickie Trio]

Eeep! I saw it. You need to expand the run to about 5 times the size. You will need to beef up security on that coop.
I suggest you start another thread in the Coop & Run Forum for suggestions on how to increase ventilation in that coop and modify it to better suit your birds and you.
Those things are horribly over priced for what you get and ALWAYS GROSSLY overstate the number of birds they can house. It should be illegal!

Thank you so much for all of this very helpful info! I did read a bit on the coop forums but you’re right I should ask questions on there. Cuz I say I’ll just fence in the whole area but realistically I have no idea how to do that! Yes security is also an issue. I know that predators won’t be able get to them in the coop part so they should be ok in there at night, but the run (if u can call it that) offers little protection. There are 2 ventilation holes but air flow is a concern as well. Live & learn I suppose.

I did put a huddle box in with them & it’s a nice night so I think they’ll be ok! I’ll update tmrw.

Also, I don’t know what a Corid is so presumably, I don’t have one lol. I’ll look it up now! Thanks again!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Also, I don’t know what a Corid is so presumably, I don’t have one lol. I’ll look it up now! Thanks again!

Corid is amprolium which is used to combat coccidiosis, which is a parasite that lives in the ground. If your chicks have been vaccinated or are eating medicated feed, your birds are at lower risk of having issues with it (the "medicated" part of the feed is usually amprolium, which is what's in Corid).

As I don't vaccinate or feed medicated feed I like having Corid on hand, just in case, as coccidiosis can kill chicks quickly.

 

[DobieLover]

Thank you so much for all of this very helpful info! I did read a bit on the coop forums but you’re right I should ask questions on there. Cuz I say I’ll just fence in the whole area but realistically I have no idea how to do that! Yes security is also an issue. I know that predators won’t be able get to them in the coop part so they should be ok in there at night, but the run (if u can call it that) offers little protection. There are 2 ventilation holes but air flow is a concern as well. Live & learn I suppose.

I did put a huddle box in with them & it’s a nice night so I think they’ll be ok! I’ll update tmrw.

Also, I don’t know what a Corid is so presumably, I don’t have one lol. I’ll look it up now! Thanks again!

The teeny ventilation holes in the coop are not enough.
The coop itself is not really very predator proof because of the low quality materials and the method of construction. They are designed to look "cute" and the uneducated buyers snap them up only to find out later they aren't worth the money.
They need to be outside and being behind the hardware cloth of the open area will help but picture how hard it is going to be to clean that area out. You are going to need to expand the run and you will get help doing that in the Coop and Run Forum. Good luck.

 

[Chickie Trio]

Corid is amprolium which is used to combat coccidiosis, which is a parasite that lives in the ground. If your chicks have been vaccinated or are eating medicated feed, your birds are at lower risk of having issues with it (the "medicated" part of the feed is usually amprolium, which is what's in Corid).

As I don't vaccinate or feed medicated feed I like having Corid on hand, just in case, as coccidiosis can kill chicks b

The teeny ventilation holes in the coop are not enough.
The coop itself is not really very predator proof because of the low quality materials and the method of construction. They are designed to look "cute" and the uneducated buyers snap them up only to find out later they aren't worth the money.
They need to be outside and being behind the hardware cloth of the open area will help but picture how hard it is going to be to clean that area out. You are going to need to expand the run and you will get help doing that in the Coop and Run Forum. Good luck.

Yes I thought the same of the construction of the thing & didn’t really expect it to last even one storm. Their first night out was good it seems & we have a ruthless outdoor cat which keeps nighttime predators away since hawks can’t get into the enclosed coop (the cat is actually the biggest predator concern for now lol) but I really need to sort their situation out to be much better sooner than later. They need more space, more air & more protection ASAP. I’ll def spend time on the coop forum today & be at the hardware store tomorrow

 

[Chickie Trio]

Omg! Every time I think I’m really getting a handle on this I find out there’s so much more to know! But that’s why I joined! I want to do this well & make give our girls the best chances at survival & make sure they’re always happy, healthy & loved!

 

[cmom]

You have been given some good advice. When I first put my chicks out into the chick/grow-out coop I do put a heat lamp initially for them. When they are a couple of months old I take it out. I do have a light in the coop that I leave on. I leave them in the coop for a couple of weeks so they get used to the coop as their safe place then I open the pop door to their pen. Good luck and have fun...
Here is some tips on predator proofing.
http://www.poultrydvm.com/featured-infographic/tips-for-protecting-poultry-from-predators
Here are some of a recent hatch in their coop. They think they're hiding.

 

[Chickie Trio]

Yes I thought the same of the construction of the thing & didn’t really expect it to last even one storm. Their first night out was good it seems & we have a ruthless outdoor cat which keeps nighttime predators away since hawks can’t get into the enclosed coop (the cat is actually the biggest predator concern for now lol) but I really need to sort their situation out to be much better sooner than later. They need more space, more air & more protection ASAP. I’ll def spend time on the coop forum today & be at the hardware store tomorrow

.....our largest ground predator in this area being raccoons, which are scarce & I’ve ever seen on our property.