New brooder box= More fighting??

[Shugercube]

Ok so my babies are roughly 4 weeks old, some a few days older, others days younger. They’ve been in a smallish brooder box for the past week, and getting along great- no fights, or anything like that. Today I switched them over to a much larger box, and all of a sudden they’re all getting up in each other’s faces, pecking, flying into each other… what’s up with this?? I thought having more space would help keep the peace longer! Did the change in scenery reset the hierarchy? Are they just reestablishing the pecking order? It literally started as soon as I put them in!

 

[Geena]

Chicks like to play fight, bump chests, etc, especially the boys. More space is more room to run around and play. Get those chicks outside!! 4 weeks old is plenty old enough, especially this time of year.

 

[Shugercube]

Chicks like to play fight, bump chests, etc, especially the boys. More space is more room to run around and play. Get those chicks outside!! 4 weeks old is plenty old enough, especially this time of year.

Really!? I thought they had to be kept at 80F still at this age, which it definitely isn’t quite THAT warm yet, we still get into the 30s at night

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

Really!? I thought they had to be kept at 80F still at this age, which it definitely isn’t quite THAT warm yet, we still get into the 30s at night

As long as they are fully feathered they should be ok. If you are brooding inside you can start by taking away the supplemental heat then getting them outdoors daily in an enclosure to acclimate them until you move them to the coop permanently. Good luck to you

 

[Geena]

Really!? I thought they had to be kept at 80F still at this age, which it definitely isn’t quite THAT warm yet, we still get into the 30s at night

I don't even keep them at 80 when they are two weeks old. After the first week I only provide them with a place to warm up and the rest of the brooding area is unheated outbuilding temperature. Spring, summer and fall, but not in winter of course.

 

[aart]

I thought they had to be kept at 80F still at this age

I hope you're not keeping the whole brooder at that temp?
That could be why they are so rowdy.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Really!? I thought they had to be kept at 80F still at this age, which it definitely isn’t quite THAT warm yet, we still get into the 30s at night

My 4 week olds are off heat and living outside down in mid 40s, so while that's warmer than your lows, it's nowhere near 80 either. Difference is I raise mine completely outdoors, and I lower their heat consistently and on the more aggressive side.

 

[Shugercube]

I hope you're not keeping the whole brooder at that temp?
That could be why they are so rowdy.

Oh, no no! Just one side, they would go closer and further away from the lamp as needed. But they’re just at room temp now