After reading this=https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...and-start-raising-your-chicks-outdoors.71995/
And just getting 3 new easter eggers to add to our 1.5 yr old girls, we thought this would be a good idea to try. We chickened out(pun intended) and used our office till they were a little over 2 weeks old and then, gulp, we put them outside.
We built a cage within the existing run, put a wind screen on one side, put the "mother heating pad" in the "panic room", added feed and water, a mirror, some toys and hoped for the best. We actually put them in the run a couple of times to let them just run around, then we put them in their "panic room" and let them figure out how to get out of it and back into it all without the big girls around.
Last night was their first night in the big dark world. I checked them 4 times, the last at 2 am! Until then they did not go under or on top of the "mother heating pad" and we were worried. Temp was low 50's so we weren't really worried BUT at 2 am all 3 were huddled together on top of the MHP, yipee.
Today we let a couple of the big girls back into the run with the 3 kids and all was good. I also added a small chunk of my home grown wheat grass, big hit, a few 6" meal worms, and life was good. So, this is going very well and, hopefully, will continue. TBC. Bajabirdbrain
And just getting 3 new easter eggers to add to our 1.5 yr old girls, we thought this would be a good idea to try. We chickened out(pun intended) and used our office till they were a little over 2 weeks old and then, gulp, we put them outside.
We built a cage within the existing run, put a wind screen on one side, put the "mother heating pad" in the "panic room", added feed and water, a mirror, some toys and hoped for the best. We actually put them in the run a couple of times to let them just run around, then we put them in their "panic room" and let them figure out how to get out of it and back into it all without the big girls around.
Last night was their first night in the big dark world. I checked them 4 times, the last at 2 am! Until then they did not go under or on top of the "mother heating pad" and we were worried. Temp was low 50's so we weren't really worried BUT at 2 am all 3 were huddled together on top of the MHP, yipee.
Today we let a couple of the big girls back into the run with the 3 kids and all was good. I also added a small chunk of my home grown wheat grass, big hit, a few 6" meal worms, and life was good. So, this is going very well and, hopefully, will continue. TBC. Bajabirdbrain
I would add some solid sides to block drafts, and get them off the ground at their age, but maybe you are warmer where you are at.
