Placing Chickens In Coop In November Questions

[countrygirl911]

We are planing on ordering more baby chickens that will be here the week of August 9th that would put them at 12 weeks old on the first week of november our temps here for november 65 during day and 42 at night my question is will they be safe in the coop at the age of 12 weeks old during that kind of temps. I plan on running an extension cord out there to place a heating lamp in their for night time also when i run a heating lamp out there what kind of bulb do i need to use so that it will not disturb their sleep. I told my daughter we would get here another chick if she behaves and does as we tell her to do but i want to make sure that they will be ok if i put them out there we usually put them outside at 6 to 8 weeks old also will they be ok because by the time they go outside or first 10 chickens we got will be laying eggs already so how would i feed them the different types of food for their ages

 

[Kansaseq]

They should be fine with those temps, especially if you are going to use a heat lamp. In fact, they might not even need it, depending on your coop.
I moved my baby Barnies out during a warm spell in November, and they acclimated just fine.

 

[countrygirl911]

My coop is one of the storage sheds that you buy at lowes and it was converted it is metal what color light would i need to make sure it does not keep them up all night also how will i feed the different ages of the sweet little chickens becasue by the time the new ones would get outside the olderones will be laying and will the older ones pick on them. the last time i introduced a new set of chickens to an already existing flock i put the babies out in their huge dog kennel inside the coop for one night the next day i let them out and they were fine but they were only a few weeks different in ages these will be 12 weeks or more different in age. Thanks for in info i really appreciate it and sorry for all the questions i just want to make sure they are safe and happy. one last question i am ordering 3 chicks from mypetchicken do you think they will arrive safely or should i order 2 more

 

[drumstick diva]

Mypetchicken would be best for advising you if you need to purchase more than 3 at a time. I think you need more than 3 if you order bantams and are not near a major city. As to November temps. I sure wish ours were 62/42 in November. That sounds positively balmy.

 

[Kansaseq]

Red light bulbs will disturb them the least. Will your shed have any insulation? I worry it may get very hot in the summer, and very cold in winter. Also you will need to add plenty of ventilation. I would go to the coop section and check out conversions to metal sheds like yours.
As far as keeping the different ages apart, you may need to section off the coop into 2 different areas. Being able to see each other through a barrier will also allow them to get used to each other by the time you put them all together.

 

[countrygirl911]

I live 1 hr and a half from a major city which is jackson mississippi from there it takes 2 days to get here so if i ordered 5 they should be ok will be the first time getting chicks in the mail

 

[Kittymomma]

I just feed gamebird feed to my mixed age/species flock and put oyster shell out free choice so the layers can meet their calcium needs. Seperating them (see but not touch) for a week or two when they first move out to the coop is a VERY good idea though, regardless of the feed issues. If you just put them out there with the older group without a proper integration they will likely get beat on pretty good, sometimes to the point of fatalities. A bit of chasing and pecking are to be expected even with a "proper" introduction, but severe bullying is much more likely if you just put them out there without it.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Chickens do not need additional heat in those types of temperatures after they are fully feathered out. Most chicks are fully feathered out around 4 to 5 weeks old. 12 week old chicks will have absolutely no problem with those temperatures.

You need to communicate directly with My Pet Chicken. We can guess what their policies might be but they will know what their policies are for your area. I suspect they will require you to order a minimum of 5 but a minimum of 8 is a real possibility. But I am guessing. They will know.

At 12 weeks old when you integrate, I feed grower to all with oyster shell on the side. Grower has the correct amount of protein for layers and 12 week old chicks. Other things work too.

I have successfully integrated 12 week old chicks (roosters and pullets) with a flock of grown hens and a grown rooster, but I have quite a bit of room. I housed them side by side from the day I hatched them, keeping my brooder in the coop. When the chicks were 4 weeks old and fully feathered out, I moved the adults to a separate coop where hey could see the old coop but not get into the coop and run. The chicks got the old coop and run. I let the adults free range but kept the chicks locked in the coop and run until they were about 8 weeks old. Then I alternated the free ranging, letting the adults out one day and the chicks the next. When the chicks were about 10 weeks old, I let them free range together. They slept in separate coops. At 11 weeks, I could put the adults in the same coop but opened it up early in the morning before they came down off the roosts. At 12 weeks, I could safely leave all of them in locked in the coop and run together. I did provide separate food and water for them because the older ones will bully the young ones and keep them from food and water if they can. By about 16 weeks they share food and water.

Integration can be a challenge. It is my most worrying aspect of raising a new batch of chicks. All our set-ups are different so different things work for different people. I think the keys are letting them get to know each other before they can get to each other, giving the young ones room or a way to get away from the older ones, and providing separate food and water. I think another key is to not interfere with them as long as no blood is drawn. It is natural that they need to set the pecking order themselves.

Good luck!

 

[countrygirl911]

thank you so much for all the advice i really appreciate it so if i just feed them all the grower feed even the chicks that will be laying and just provide them with oyster shell and grit they should be fine on that for the rest of their little lives i plan to let them die of old age. also if i put the oyster shells out there and the younger ones eat some is that safe for them or will they ignore it all together i know i have several weeks befor that happens but i just want to make sure i do every thing right. We are planing to add to the run and add another converted metal shed in the summer of 2011 so that we can have 40 chickens all together. our shed is 10ft by 8 ft and the run is 16ft by 16ft. so when next summer rolls around we will have 2 of the sheds maybe one will be a little bigger and then we will add a 16ftX12ft run and then connect the to to make it 16ftX28ft. I thought we would only get a few chickens for the kids little did i know that they would be so addicting lol. Again thank you for all the help and information. As for the weather in december, January, and Febuary sometimes part of march the temps can get below freezing at night so will they be safe during those temps it only once in a blue moon it gets below freezing here. will i need to run two heat lamps out there or will the one work on those cold nights i will be attaching the light to the rafter in the building that is about 5 to 6 feet from the ground. will it help heat up the whole coop sorry for all the questions just want to make sure my chicks are happy, healthy and safe

 

[Kansaseq]

I only use my heat lamps when it gets down to 20 or below. If you barely get below freezing, you may not need the heat lamps at all.