Questions about brooding outside

[BkyrdFarmer]

My chicks are just past 3 weeks and I decided to brood them directly in the floor of my coop. This is my first flock and was like a nesting mother with worry up all our of the night checking the temps every couple hours to make sure they never got cold. It got down to the low 40's for a few nights and that scared me some but we prevailed and I was a diligent new chicken Dad. Sure a bit white knuckle to brood outside my first time but I felt we could pull it off safely and we have so far. I have yet to see any of them get cold. These chicks are pretty tough. Anyways not trying to write a book but I needed to explain why Im asking the questions I am about to.

They obviously still need the heating pad and so thats going and they have it set up in a wire cage so it arched and they can go under or on it to heat up. I call it a robot chicken and I think I got it off of this forum or maybe another but it has been working. I tried to take them off the lamp the first week and pyt them on the heating pad but it was dropping 30 degrees from the hot part of day to the night low. I got them past a few cold snaps with the lamp and just pulled it abfew days ago and they seem to be fine. I wake up and they are no where near the heat at the coldest part of the morning. They are beebopping around doing all the normal chicken stuffs.

I designed my coop to actually be the run and the coop. The run has a floor of stone, wood and rubber and it is as secure as the rest of the coop. I build it to leave the pop door open nearly year around. So really the run ais part of the coop and they will free range on about 1200 sq ft patch of yard. They are starting to get cramped and they are really ready to explore. I was going to wait until 4 weeks old to open the run up to them and still leave the robot chicken mamma inside the coop so they still have their brooder stuff. My question is when do you think I should do that? They have been in the brooder in the coop for 3 weeks now and I dont want to give them more room too early. The days get up 80 and so I open the windows once the temp hits 70 and open the pop door, which is cover in chicken wire so they cant get out. The run is secure, the chicken wire just needs to hold the babies inside the brooder/coop floor. My coop is small 4x4 that is 7' tall, attached to a small 4x12 vented day room or you could call it a run. I designed it for a half dozen birds. They sent me extras so they are a bit cramped now with a 16 sq foot brooder. I want to give them access to the run but I dont know when its best? They are almost flying 3 feet up to the first roost. They can move and they are very well adjusted to the outside weather. They are the first flock so I dont have any intigration issues. They have been brooded in their forever home. I just need to know what you guys think about when I should open up their entire space to them? I want their immune systems fully developed before I let them free range. 6-8 weeks is my plan. I just want to know when I should let them have acces to the rest of their digs? They could really use the space right now???

 

[sourland]

Is the run covered to protect from aerial predators? Realistically they are ready to experience more space.

 

[BkyrdFarmer]

Is the run covered to protect from aerial predators? Realistically they are ready to experience more space.

Yes its all very very secure! Fully enclosed. Nothing can harm them but them or me!

 

[rosemarythyme]

I was going to wait until 4 weeks old to open the run up to them and still leave the robot chicken mamma inside the coop so they still have their brooder stuff. My question is when do you think I should do that?

"Now." As long as they can gain access to the heat source without issue (like I don't know if there's a ramp between coop and run or anything else that might make navigating problematic) 3 week olds can handle a good amount of space.

I give chicks around 2 weeks old access to my whole set up, around 525 sq ft in total. Never had a chick not be able to find its way back to the brooder after supervising to make sure they understood how to get in and out.

 

[BkyrdFarmer]

"Now." As long as they can gain access to the heat source without issue (like I don't know if there's a ramp between coop and run or anything else that might make navigating problematic) 3 week olds can handle a good amount of space.

I give chicks around 2 weeks old access to my whole set up, around 525 sq ft in total. Never had a chick not be able to find its way back to the brooder after supervising to make sure they understood how to get in and out.

I opened up the rest of the coop to them yesterday. They were pretty cautious and didn't venture out the pop door stoop much further than 2 or 3 steps. I'm fine with them being cautious and safe. There are about 8 steps down a set if stairs I built. I have a ramp but I didn't like it. If they seem to need it I'll break it out for them but they seem to navigate pretty well within the confined of about 3' high. They are flying all over the place. I did see one of the hens jump about 2' to a swing I have hanging in the run and jump back to the pop door stoop.

I'll be sure to make sure they find their way back to the heat. Also I'm closing the pop door in the evening before it starts to cool or get dark until they are off heat. It helps me make sure no one is left out in the cold. I'll open the pop door up during the warm part of the day. That's my plan. I think it's fine. My 'run' isn't really a regular run. It's as secure as the rest of the coop. It's more like a minature chicken cathedral. Top and bottom are vented so it stays surprisingly cool inside. Hardware cloth top and bottom.

 

[BkyrdFarmer]

Well they are all acting like regular chickens now. I reminded them last night to use the heat and they didn't want it, I checked after they woke up to see if they were using it this morning and they didn't seem to be interested in heat? It's been in the mid sixties for the low last few days and this morning they have played in the run for 3 hours since we woke up and they haven't once used the heat I have seen. Last night they played in the run till almost dark, later than they normally bed down for the night. So they know where the heat is and where to go when it's bedtime. They are all eating and drinking now from the adult feeder and waterer and seemnto like congregating there now so I'll probably remove their baby feeders from the coop. Long as zi know they all know where the food and water are I suppose it's fine. Theybare about 25/26 days old. Not very old but certainly seem to already be well adjusted to being chickens. They don't have all their feathers yet so I want to make sure they don't get cold. If I see them cold I'll move them to the heat, I just haven't seen them cold very much, perhaps I'm doing my job? Being brooded outside hasn't seemed to be an issue for us or them. A bit stressful I will admit but Think we pulled it off. Choosing the right time of year is critical, I had to really move that dimmer switch around to keep them in their sweet spot that first couple weeks. After that it's been relatively easy in truth. I appreciate the feedback, without any knowledge or experience I need those of you that have it as a good sounding board so I don't end up over in left field on my job keeping them healthy. So Thanks, this seems like a great community. I'll have a 100 questions I am sure!

 

[PoppasGrill]

It’s good to be cautious, but seems to me that they are doing well.
We usually remove the lamp once we see that they aren’t using it. We had a clutch stop going in the coop due to the lamp, once we removed the lamp they started going back in.
I’ve found that , mostly, they know what they need intuitively and will do what they want. Almost like they know better than we do.

 

[BkyrdFarmer]

It’s good to be cautious, but seems to me that they are doing well.
We usually remove the lamp once we see that they aren’t using it. We had a clutch stop going in the coop due to the lamp, once we removed the lamp they started going back in.
I’ve found that , mostly, they know what they need intuitively and will do what they want. Almost like they know better than we do.

OK, that tracks. They certainly are easier to raise than a puppy, that's for sure. Yeah agree they seem pretty OK to me too. I just have a heating pad going inside the coop. I'd feel safer keeping it going for them until I'm sure they don't need it. It is still dipping down into the low 50s this coming week. I'm sure they are fine with it, it's me that worries LOL! They are sure acting like happy miniature chickens now. Let's see if I can keep them that way?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Well they are all acting like regular chickens now. I reminded them last night to use the heat and they didn't want it, I checked after they woke up to see if they were using it this morning and they didn't seem to be interested in heat? It's been in the mid sixties for the low last few days and this morning they have played in the run for 3 hours since we woke up and they haven't once used the heat I have seen. Last night they played in the run till almost dark, later than they normally bed down for the night. So they know where the heat is and where to go when it's bedtime. They are all eating and drinking now from the adult feeder and waterer and seemnto like congregating there now so I'll probably remove their baby feeders from the coop. Long as zi know they all know where the food and water are I suppose it's fine. Theybare about 25/26 days old. Not very old but certainly seem to already be well adjusted to being chickens. They don't have all their feathers yet so I want to make sure they don't get cold. If I see them cold I'll move them to the heat, I just haven't seen them cold very much, perhaps I'm doing my job?

At that age and with those temperatures, yes they should be comfortable without heat and that's why they're choosing not to use it. As you note even baby chickens know how to chicken better than we humans do.

 

[Grannys Backyard Chicks]

I love your setup...raising chickens is so much fun and rewarding . Please keep sharing pictures.