Pacing chick - should I worry?

[cblakley0531]

Highs have been starting to get into the mid-high 50s low 60s but still creeping towards freezing at night.

 

[cblakley0531]

Oh and I do not, these are my first chicks ever.

 

[SusanPC]

Hello - I also think you will soon need something bigger and taller. At around 10 days old, mine went through a growth spurt and started trying out their wings. We also didn't want to invest, so went and found a box/crate behind a Sam's Wholesale (FREE!). If I had to do it all again, I would get a cardboard box each week and keep getting a bigger one as they get bigger (get free ones from grocery or other store). That way you start with a clean home each week and can have just the right size for where the chicks are developmentally. I made a small perch, but they actually really like the branches we've been putting in there. They also just like hopping onto anything - rocks, bricks, etc. At this point, they keep trying to one-up each other on the highest perch they can find (they are 3 weeks now). These pics are about 1 1/2 weeks ago.

 

[subhanalah]

A box from a grocery store will be a good intermediate upgrade until you can put them in the coop with a heat lamp. Well, that is, if you have a coop that protects them from drafts. You can always cover the outside of the coop with a tarpaulin or plastic sheeting for roofing or weather proofing windows.

Its definitely a lot easier since you don't have chickens out init already!

 

[Granny Hatchet]

That sounds so fun! Do you have pics?

i dont im sorry but imagine if you will, one of those old plant hangers people used to macrame, take a small board say, 6x6in.and notch a place in each corner. i used a hole saw. i also stapled the rope so it wouldnt slide underneath tie the 4 ropes together at the top and bottom. i put it aginst the side so it didnt swing to much until they got used to it. now they love to swing.lol

 

[cblakley0531]

Oh my gosh I love your set up! Where did you get the sand that you have pictured there? Those perches are cute! Thank you for the cardboard box idea! I *believe* I may have some scrap wood laying around here that my Dad isn't using so I will try to find it!

 

[cblakley0531]

I'm definitely trying to hustle my bum to get that coop done! I just foudn out that my chicks are actually about two weeks old (feed store was wrong, talked to the owner who is a personal friend) so I'm hoping that I can get away with them being in there up to four weeks but I have a feeling that's not happening. When we build the coop, it's going to be under a three sided building so hopefully that will help with drafts but I do plan to draft proof the coop, otherwise, I'm going to have to get crafty! lol

 

[cblakley0531]

Oh my gosh that sounds like so much fun for those babies! I can just image that they love it!

 

[SusanPC]

Oh my gosh I love your set up! Where did you get the sand that you have pictured there? Those perches are cute! Thank you for the cardboard box idea! I *believe* I may have some scrap wood laying around here that my Dad isn't using so I will try to find it!

The box we ended up finding is huge - 7' x 3' so we have lots of room for activities. The sand makes a mess but they love it. It's just some construction sand leftover from my husband making a patio with brick pavers. Research on this site the types people use. I've seen everything from play sand to washed river sand to construction sand.

 

[cblakley0531]

Wow! Bet they LOVE all that space! How fun! Thank you again for your feedback and help!