moving chicks to the coop

[poniesforever]

Okay... you'll have to tell me what "hardware cloth" is... and where do I get it?? Sorry if that seems like a foolish question.

My chicks are doing great out in their coop! With all this rain its been chilly, and they spend a lot of time under their heat lamp, which is generally around 80 to 85 under the lamp. Seems to be around 65 to 75 in different areas of the rest of the coop. Its 8 X 8 and the heat lamp is only in one corner, since they originally all stayed to one corner, til they got use to it. But they are getting around, playing, acting out, and generally seem quite well. Which I am thankful for! I am building a larger brooder, incase I get more next year. So I'll be able to keep them inside longer.
Nice to meet a fellow Mainer on here!

 

[Jeffross1968]

Hardware cloth can be found at Lowe's and other home improvement stores...probably also your feed stores. It's stronger than chicken wire, with smaller holes. Raccoons can literally bite through chicken wire, but not this stuff. All your windows should be covered with galvanized hardware cloth. It's not cheap, but either is replacing your whole flock.

 

[ButchGood]

Hardware cloth.... Some call it Rat wire, some call it hail screen. Comes in 1/4 to1/2 holes. I use it all around the run 2 ft. high on top of my fencing to keep coons from reaching in to snag a birds on the ground.You can see it if you look hard at my fence. Its on all the windows as well. It also keeps the little chicks from squeezing through the 2x4 holes in my fencing. Not really a cloth. Its wire fencing material that a lot of folks use on their rabbit pens.

 

[TexasLea]

I am so glad your little ones are liking the extra room of the coop!

I second your idea to get a bigger brooder for next year. I'm on my second batch of chicks now and it is alot harder this time to think of what to do with them as they need more room to grow since the big girls already use the coop.

 

[poniesforever]

Okay, this hardware cloth sounds like great stuff! Yes I see it in the picture! Thank you for sharing the info with me, I will be looking for it next time I get to a place that sells that sort of thing. I actually think I remember seeing it somewhere, but didn't know what it was!

Yes, the chicks are having a blast in the coop! They are playing and chasing each other, and running crazy out there!

I new question is... I think I read somewhere, to put sevin(spelling?) but the powder insect repellant either on the chickens, or in an area where they can dust themselves with it... does anyone know anything about that? I do NOT want them getting lice or any other bugs that chickens are prone to... so I'm open to any ideas and suggestions.

Thanks so much for all the great advice!!! This is a huge help to me!!!

 

[ButchGood]

Sevi dust is poison, I wouldn't use it. Use Diatomaceous Earth Food Grade. Most feed stores carry it. Put it where they dust themselves. Just mix some up in the dirt. Sprinkle it all over the inside of the coop. All over the litter on the floor and in the nesting boxes. This should keep the vermin down to a minimum.

 

[poniesforever]

Oh my goodness! Thank you! I will look for it... I can't believe I read the other stuff was used... ugh! I certainly don't want to poison my chickens!!! Thank you, thank you!!

 

[Adoravachick]

I felt the need to chime in. This seems like a no brainer, but I learned the hard way. Be sure that your coop doors are closed and locked during the night. A few weeks back I also moved my chicks out to their new coop once my husband completed the attached chicken run made of wood and chicken wire. We live on a mountain and it was still getting cold at night, so I also put the heat lamp in the coop to keep everyone happy and warm. I didn't want to drill a hole into my new coop to accomodate the lead for the heat lamp, so I left the coop door open just a crack so the lead could be plugged in. After a couple of weeks of doing this, it still hadn't warmed up enough to remove the lamp. The day after mother's day, my husband woke me up at 5am to tell me that something had killed 6 of my daughter's chicks and 6 of our guineas in a separate hutch. Whatever it was, tested the run perimeter and the top of the chicken run until it found a spot where it could get in. It just opened the cracked open coop door and killed what it wanted. Needless to say, we changed a few things and now if something gets in....we have a MAJOR and scary problem.

 

[Campesina]

Sorry for your loss Adoravachick. I wish I could clone myself and one of us would sit up all night with the "girls" and a shot gun close by.

 

[chicksusie]

I as well have two chicks that are three weeks old and two that are a little over a week. I was going to move them out to the coop this weekend with the heating lamp. I s this too soon? I live in VT.... I don't mind keeping them in longer but the big box they're in seems like not enough! Also, because we live in a small city and space is an issue,we've had to be very creative! They wont have a yard to run with grass/gravel so we are going to have to buy some. Does anyone know exactly what to get that is best for their digestion etc? I'd appreciate any advice suggestions!