New chick owner

[Triple H 417]

Hello BYC,
I just signed up to be a member of this wonderful site. We recently decided to try our hand on raising chickens. I found your site after a recommendation and I am amazed at all the information that is on BYC. It helped me with getting ready to take on such a task as this. Our 2 boys were excited to help with the chicks so I went out last Saturday after getting the brooder ready and picked up 3 Barred rock pullets, 3 Rhode Island red pullets, and one polish crested straight run (which I’m hoping is a rooster). I also got plans for a rollout nesting box which I built and added that to our shed I turned into a coop. Thank you for all the great insight!

Here are a couple of pictures.

 

[DobieLover]

Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.
Is there a reason why you are not brooding them in the coop?

 

[Isaac 0]

Welcome to BYC!

 

[Pork Pie]

Hi and welcome to BYC. Here are some helpful links:

• Great go-to resource - Articles
• Insightful feedback on how members manage their flocks - Topic of the Week back-catalogue
• Good link to read before building a coop / run - Space requirements

Best wishes

Pork Pie

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

Welcome to our FUNomenal community!
Best wishes and Be well!

 

[gunslinger33]

They will probably be able to get out of that pool in a week or two.

 

[Triple H 417]

I’m brooding them in the pool ( that’s in our garage) because I don’t have the run portion on the coop built and we are having some colder temps ( 30 - 40 degrees) at night so I thought it would be easier to regulate the temperature. I guess I will be moving them out to there sooner if they get that big in a week or two. I was told they were 2-3 days old on Saturday so I’m guessing they are 5 - 6 days old now.

 

[gunslinger33]

Just watch them. Those little guys will surprise you. You might want to top some how.

 

[Triple H 417]

Do you think they would be okay in the coop in a couple of weeks?

 

[gunslinger33]

The most important thing is to make sure they are warm enough. They won't be very big in another week but you'll be surprised how high they can jump / fly. I would think by week 3 they could get out. I am assuming with an open top you don't have any cats or other predators to worry about. On "snake days" days over 75 degrees I would also try to protect them. A 1-2 week old chick is't too big for a rat snake or a racer. Even if they can't get it down they definitely could kill it / them.

I have two that are 5 days old that I'll need to cover in another week. Mine are in my basement which is even messier. They are in a tote that is about 18-24" tall. They will go from waterer to top of the tote pretty easily.