Moving chicks to the coop.....how smart are they?

[grullablue]

My 10 chicks will be 5 weeks old this Saturday, and are feathering out well. They're getting too big for the brooder in the garage, and I'd like to move them to my coop. It's empty, no other chickens... it's 8x12', insulated, the chicken area is 8'x8'. You can see pics at www.duninblue.com if interested. I would run a heat lamp out there, of course, as we are in WI! With a large area for the chicks such as this, are they smart enough to stay near the heat lamp if they're cold? Or should I plan to somehow section off a corner or something temporarily? I wouldn't want to do that if it's unecessary, it's more work of course, I was thinking about keeping their food, water, and pointing the heat lamp in the area under the nest boxes, to help them feel more secure. Just a guess, but I'd say the nest boxes cover about 6' of wall...

Just wanted to get some input on this. I have recent pics of the chicks on that same page as well (with the coop)...they are feathering nicely, but would still need a heat lamp. In my insulated garage, I am using a 125 watt, but they are in my brooder, for a more open space like that, I'd probably switch back to the 250 watt.

Angie

 

[scarter]

We are also in WI and ours were smart enough to get under the heat lamp when we moved them to the pole barn. Your coop is much nicer than what we moved ours to though. We used a metal dog corral and put the lamp on one side. We eventually started letting them out for a while during the day and they'd run back to the fencing when they felt threatened. Eventually we let them out in the morning and closed the fencing in the evening. I was so glad to move them to their coop after all that dustyness.

 

[Enselle]

Here in North Carolina, we won't have heat lamp weather for long, but what's the scoop on sneaking my month-old chicks in with the hens one night?? I think I read something about this, you can get the adults to accept the young'uns if you set them in the coop in the dark. Has anyone done this?

 

[mtnhomechick]

I've done that. It works "Better" not necessarily real good. Something about the older ones getting used to the scent when it's dark and they can't hurt them.

I played referee and food patrol for at least a month and I didn't introduce my chicks until they were three months old.

 

[Oceanseve]

Beautiful coop!!


enselle - I slipped mine in at night but I also sprayed the yard with apple cider vinegar, to help mask the smell of the new ones. It worked well, but you will still have to play protector I think no matter what you do.