My new Babies

[lbunkie]

I recently purchased 5 new Chicks from our local Farm supply Store, I believe these chicks are 2 weeks? I have them in a chicken cage in my back room, where sun stays on them a lot.
I'm wanting to know if I could put the cage in the actual coop, where they can get acquainted with my older hens and rooster.
There is an area in the corner of the nesting box and the roost, that would be out of the wind and under the heat lamp.
Any suggestions.

 

[lbunkie]

 

[SilverLacedMom]

I think that is too young for them to go to adults, unless the adults are broody/motherly hens that would accept them. Otherwise they might turn into pecked fluffs. Rooster + unfamiliar chicks=Bad idea too.

They are only a few DAYS old not weeks, judging by the pics, are there any actual feathers coming out? (will be on the wings) if not they are still super young and need to be at 95 degrees for first 2 weeks then you can drop the temp 5 degrees or so every week after that.

 

[azygous]

Yes, they're less than one week. They need a heat source that heats a spot on the ground up to 90 degrees. (Those heat guidelines err on the hot side.) As long as there are no cold drafts, the chicks can handle being out in a coop with other chickens as long as they can't be accessed by the adults.

By week two, the temp can be lowered to 80-85. By week three, they can handle 70 degrees away from heat for periods. Then they need a heat source of around 80 to warm up again.

By week four, they probably can forego heat during the day, and just need it at night around 75-80.

The temperature can be anything as long as the chicks have a warm spot to warm up under. No need to heat their entire area.

The more space you can provide chicks, the better. But adult chickens will probably harm them if they can get to them. You can begin integrating three-week old chicks with adults as long as you have a safe enclosure the chicks can retreat to and the adults can't get in. This is not only important for chick safety but adult chickens try to keep chicks from accessing food and water, a mean trick they love to play. So protected food and water is a necessity, too.

Chicks and adults can integrate fairly easily as long as chicks have a safety outlet.

 

[lbunkie]

They are starting to get feathers

 

[azygous]

By day three or four the feathers begin to show on the wings. They're quite noticeable by day five.