Outside time?

[KelBelle]

At a week old is it okay for us to take the brooders outside and set them on the deck for a while for them to get sunshine and fresh air?

 

[Fluff-n-Feathers]

I'd say yes, just make sure that they don't get too tired

 

[flgardengirl]

I think it would be okay as long as they have access to shade, fresh water and there is wire fencing around or something to keep them from predators.

 

[gritsar]

When you take the young ones out it's necessary for you to act as mother hen. Stay with them and make sure that the aren't bothered by predators. If they are all running around, behaving normally, they're fine. If they start peeping loudly and bunching up, they are too cold and need to go back under their heat lamp.

 

[write2caroline]

Yes, be careful. I was taking my babies out everyday and putting them in the tractor portion of thier coop, I went to take a phone call and the tractor door fell open and in went my dog in a FLASH. Less than 30 seconds and he got to all of my chicks.
Caroline

 

[KelBelle]

Thankfully our dogs are small and don't care about the chicks at all. *knocks on wood* Is it okay to let them roam attended in the grass at two weeks? I seem to recall reading something about exposure to things with being so young.

 

[gryeyes]

If you have something like a cage or dog crate, you can set it on the ground/grass with the chicks inside it... you may have to put cardboard or something around it if you don't have any extra hardware cloth to wrap it, so the chicks don't get out through the gaps (if it's a dog crate). But that will give them grass and sunlight. They can take a couple hours of it at two weeks. With you RIGHT THERE with them.

 

[KelBelle]

Sounds good. Thank you. We are just about finished with the pen and decided to use hardware cloth instead of chicken wire. There is no way they will get out and we'll make sure to keep a close eye on them.

 

[UGAchick]

Watch them closely. After reading posts about people taking their chicks outside to play I decided to try it. Well she ran away from me and hid under the deck, and then disappeared. I didn't find her until later that night, on the other side of the fence, behind the trash can. Although my toddler thought the game of chickie hide-and-go-seek was fun, I was terrified!

 

[KelBelle]

Quote:
I hadn't thought about them running away. LOL I was so concerned with making sure we had a safe place for them from predators I forgot about that. I guess we'll just take the brooder out to the pen and then take them out while the brooder is penned in too.