PSA for those using dog crates or ex pens

[KSH1]

I moved my 2-week-old chicks from a dog crate to an ex pen, but still kept cardboard around the bottom 12" or so. I came home yesterday to discover that a chick had managed to get out anyway, and I was too late. I have added 4' tall window screening around the whole thing now, but it was a bummer of a lesson so thought I'd pass it along to help others avoid the same mistake. (Luckily I had the roll of screen; the hardware cloth is FINALLY scheduled for delivery tomorrow.)

 

[danceswithronin]

I moved my 2-week-old chicks from a dog crate to an ex pen, but still kept cardboard around the bottom 12" or so. I came home yesterday to discover that a chick had managed to get out anyway, and I was too late.

Did a dog get it or something? I had a chick squeeze out of the gate in the run yesterday while I was sitting out there and I about had a heart attack trying to discreetly catch her before the dogs saw that she was loose and started chasing her around.

 

[KSH1]

Nothing got it; the brooder is in my enclosed garage. But I had a long shift yesterday and I guess it was just away from the heat/food/water/flock too long.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Sorry about your loss. Unfortunately with chicks, if they can find their way into/out of/over something, they will.

 

[Ecto04]

So sorry for your loss. I have mine in a baby pool with the ex pen around it. By the time they could fly out of the pool, they were too big to squeeze through the ex pen spaces. I was worried they would fly out of the pool and not be able (or wise enough) to get back into the warmth so I put a chick cam up so I could Check on them from work. Sure enough, the second chick cam day one flew the pool. Called my mother-in-law to go down and put her back. We were lucky.