my expanded brooder/ grow out pen!

[crazy4ChickensNducks]

The chicks have been in this for three weeks in a heated storage room, but it is warming up now so they get to go out to the barn!
This is what they were in ( setup smaller for chicks i'm sitting! )

this is their new expanded pen. there are 25 chicks and they should only be in here for 3-4 weeks.

 

[Ridgerunner]

It looks like you are using wire to hold that heat lamp in place instead of relying on that clamp. Excellent! I'm not going to bash you for using a heat lamp like some people on here do. I also use a heat lamp, like people have successfully used for over 100 years to raise chicks. But I do not trust that clamp, I think the clamp is the cause of a lot of the fires you hear about. I throw it away so I'm not tempted to rely on it. I consider using wire instead of relying on that clamp a major safety precaution.

How big, in feet, is that new grow-out area? I raised about that number of chicks in a brooder 3' x 5' a few times. By five weeks of age they were getting pretty crowded. I don't know what your long term plans are for a coop or how you are going to manage them but it looks too clean in that area for you to have older chickens round. It may not be too early to start getting that area ready if it is not.

Your chicks looks like they are still in that rough grow-out phase where the feathers look really ragged. I call that the vulture phase after seeing a bunch of black ones that age lined up on a perch. But within a week or two they should really smooth our as they fully feather. When they do they can probably handle your Michigan April weather without supplemental heat. In my opinion it doesn't hurt to offer them a place to warm up as long as you can do that safely but they probably won't need it. Don't be too afraid of giving them more freedom and room pretty soon.

Good luck. That looks nice and you chicks should do well.

 

[crazy4ChickensNducks]

How big, in feet, is that new grow-out area? I raised about that number of chicks in a brooder 3' x 5' a few times. By five weeks of age they were getting pretty crowded. I don't know what your long term plans are for a coop or how you are going to manage them but it looks too clean in that area for you to have older chickens round. It may not be too early to start getting that area ready if it is not.

This is in our poll barn. the only birds allowed in the barn are chicks. then they go out to the 12x12 coop with the older birds. I won't be keeping all of the chicks. after 6 weeks 2 are going to my neighbor and I already know I have a cockerel. in 3 weeks these guys will be going into a brand new 5x4 coop for a WEEK just to get them accustomed to being outside. then they will be mixed with the flock at 8 weeks.