Quick question regarding 1 1/2 week old chicks

[buggylady]

Hi there,

I'm basically new to raising chickens. I haven't had any since jr high (about 30 yrs ago) lol. Anyway, A week ago last friday, we purchased chicks from a local hatchery and brought them home. I now have 40 - 8 day old broilers, 5 - 8 day old Blk jersey giants, 3 - 11 day old guineas, 3 - 2wk old ducks, 10 - 11 day old silver laced & gold laced wyondotts(sp).

Anyway there are 60 chick's total.

Hubby made a new hutch, its 4ft x 7 1/2ft x 2ft tall. 1/2" of it is completely enclosed with plywood with a small opening to what I call their "play pen" its made from chicken wire. The whole hutch sits off the ground and its currently sitting in our basement. (walkout) The chicks are under a 125watt heat lamp. Our basement is not heated and it does get Cold down there.

I am cleaning out their hutch at least 1x per day, but am really starting to smell them. And boy oh boy are they starting to Po alot lol not to mention eat.

I am wondering if it would be okay to take them from the basement down to the barn and put another heat lamp on them?

They have a good wind block within the hutch and it does stay warm.

Any opinions or questions are welcomed

 

[Fred's Hens]

We brood out in the barn in colder temps. A brooder that has a ceiling, a top, or a hood helps to hold the heat in. Using a couple of heat lamps, of varying wattages, allows you to better match their needs. Higher temps using higher watts for cold nights, and lower watts for warmer days. Having a large brooder also allows the chicks to do what they do best, self-regulate. They'll move toward the heat circle if they need it and away from the heat circle if they don't.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Wow! Bless your heart - I thought I had alot of chicks - I have 8 three day olds

I plan to move mine out to the outside brooder as soon as they are either 3 weeks old or I get sick of smelling them. They do poo alot and they are messy - by 3 weeks old I was ready to boot out the White Leghorns so I'm pretty sure I'll be eager to move my Lavender Orpingtons and Silkies out by then too. But chicks won't be fully feathered by then so I plan to supplement their side of the coop with a heat lamp to about 9 weeks if it keeps dipping down into the 50s or 40s at night - by then the LOs and Silkies should be ready for winter.

The 1 1/2 week old chicks don't have all their feathers yet to keep them warm - but if they're in an enclosure at night to block the wind/elements and you're putting a lamp on them until they're feathered and you're past the watching for pasty butt stage so they will be fine.

 

[kingsfarm]

am in Louisiana...chicks born Oct. 13 and went straight out to the large brooder .. 25 chicks.. have a heat lamp (red) that is left on .. was 50 degrees their first night and were fine... have raised others very successfully out doors...they are not as fragile as we think...and they bunch up when cold...or move away from the warmth when too warm.....all will be fine...yes they DO EAT and POO a LOT.....better for them to be outdoors ...

 

[buggylady]

Thanks for the replies everyone! We live in KS and I just checked the night time temps. The low this week is 29, with several nights in the mid 30s' I think I'll hold off moving them to the barn for a few more days, temps will go back up into the mid to high 40's. I've been opening the garage door to let the basement air out. Chicks all run to the playpen side of the hutch when I do.. they see "the real world" outside and really become active lol. Some are trying to fly, I can't believe how fast some of the chicks have gotten the feathers on their wings!!!!

About the pasty bottom stage??? I had a gunniea and one of the broiler chicks with pasty bottoms around day 4.. How long does this stage last?

BTW - I've learned so much from this website already by reading the varios threads, thanks everyone!!!!