Raising Chickens to Hens for the first time! (Maryland)

[Living_Legend]

Have them outside much sooner than eight weeks! Use hardware cloth for everything, not chicken wire which is a waste of money and time.
Mine go out to the coop at three weeks, in their own area, with a heat source. They are integrated into the flock by six or seven weeks, and are flying up as high as eight feet during that time.
Mary

This will be my first set of chickens I'm using hardware cloth outside but I thought I read chicken wire keep chickens in but not Predators out so what's the harm in using chicken wire inside? I am going to take them outside here and there but I read that they shouldn't go outside into the coop until six to eight weeks

 

[Ryn2011]

This will be my first set of chickens I'm using hardware cloth outside but I thought I read chicken wire keep chickens in but not Predators out so what's the harm in using chicken wire inside? I am going to take them outside here and there but I read that they shouldn't go outside into the coop until six to eight weeks

I used a corrugated pumpkin box when my day-old-chicks were delivered to me; in the garage, heat source, etc. You can use whatever you'd like with your chicks until they go outside. The coop should be predator proof. Hardware cloth is the best option if you have lots of potential predators.
I used chicken wire because it works FOR ME and my coop is temporary. It isn't the same for everyone else. I also use chicken wire around my gardens and such so I already had it laying around when I built my coop. And yeah, it keeps birds in but not predators out.
I am lucky in that my coop is inside of a privacy fenced yard and I only have to worry about a cat next door..who lost interest in them when her hind end met a BB a few weeks back.

 

[Living_Legend]

I am using hardware cloth outside. I thought chicken wire would be ok for an indoor brooder. I don't get it. All The brooders I see on the internet seam very small. So how long are people using their brooders for. I though I was doing better making a larger one but if they can jump 8 feet by week to like what was just said then .... I am confused.

 

[Ryn2011]

I am using hardware cloth outside. I thought chicken wire would be ok for an indoor brooder. I don't get it. All The brooders I see on the internet seam very small. So how long are people using their brooders for. I though I was doing better making a larger one but if they can jump 8 feet by week to like what was just said then .... I am confused.

You can use whatever you want for inside.
The brooder only needs to be big enough to fit everything in it...with a little bit of extra space for the chicks to move away from the heat source if need be.
I used one of these. VVVV

It was double corrugated so it wasn't flimsy like a regular cardboard box. It was free. I just asked for one at Rural King and they gave it to me. It is folded up in the garage storage now for when I get more chicks this spring.

As far as flying goes, some chickens are better at it than others. You can clip ONE side (feathers) to prevent them from attempting an escape if you'd like. It is not necessary if they don't seem to want to fly. None of my 8 girls are flighty so they I have never had to clip their feathers.

You only need the brooder until they feather out and are ready to go into the coop. Some people do all of their brooding stuff in their coop already and some of us do it indoors.

Just remember that this is a learning process. You will mess up. You will learn things and eventually you will get to a place where you've pretty much figured it out. Until then, good luck.

 

[Ryn2011]

Cornish Crosses (meatbirds/top)
Barred Rocks (dual purpose/bottom)

 

[Living_Legend]

You can use whatever you want for inside.
The brooder only needs to be big enough to fit everything in it...with a little bit of extra space for the chicks to move away from the heat source if need be.
I used one of these. VVVV

It was double corrugated so it wasn't flimsy like a regular cardboard box. It was free. I just asked for one at Rural King and they gave it to me. It is folded up in the garage storage now for when I get more chicks this spring.

As far as flying goes, some chickens are better at it than others. You can clip ONE side (feathers) to prevent them from attempting an escape if you'd like. It is not necessary if they don't seem to want to fly. None of my 8 girls are flighty so they I have never had to clip their feathers.

You only need the brooder until they feather out and are ready to go into the coop. Some people do all of their brooding stuff in their coop already and some of us do it indoors.

Just remember that this is a learning process. You will mess up. You will learn things and eventually you will get to a place where you've pretty much figured it out. Until then, good luck.

Thank you. Due to Maryland weather it was suggested to me not to have them outside in a coop until they are fully feathered 6-8 weeks. If I double the height of my setup and have CHICKEN WIRE on top for indoor use only will that 5ft x 5ft x 5ft area be good enough to brooder 9 chicks till 6-8 weeks?

 

[Ryn2011]

Thank you. Due to Maryland weather it was suggested to me not to have them outside in a coop until they are fully feathered 6-8 weeks. If I double the height of my setup and have CHICKEN WIRE on top for indoor use only will that 5ft x 5ft x 5ft area be good enough to brooder 9 chicks till 6-8 weeks?

I think they will be just fine. It is only temporary space after all. Good luck!

 

[Living_Legend]

I think they will be just fine. It is only temporary space after all. Good luck!

Thank you for all the information. I appreciate it.

As I'm typing this a huge red fox just walked across my yard....

 

[Ryn2011]

Pictured are Cornish Crosses and Barred Rock chicks. Here are some shots of when I was taking them outside for yard time. This was right before they were ready to be outside all the time. They were 6 weeks old here. Notice how much larger the white Cornish Crosses are? THEY WERE THE SAME AGE! Meatbirds grow so much faster.

Also, I built the coop one week before they were ready to go outside. I couldn't decide how I wanted it done. The small one you see in the background was ordered without realizing how small it was. So it is now attached to the larger coop and used for an nesting area.

 

[Living_Legend]

My coop outside and run will be good to go I have that figured out it's the inside before then I need to lock in. So you keep those 6 week olds inside at night in the watermelon container with wire over top?