RIR chicks 3 weeks old yesterday ?

[RoseMarie1]

I have 16 of them in a 35" wide 35" length and they are VERY fast growing out of their space! Hubby says I need to put them in their chicken house this coming week but wondering what to do now. I have introduced them to a nipple waterer and they all love playing with it, to save some space in their brooder box. We made another one the same size as this one for the 23 black australorps but they're a week younger than the RIR's so we weren't able to put them together in the same pen. I thought about doing a second floor in it to give them some more space, lol, since it's soooooo deep......I could just put in some 1x2's to lay the plyboard on in there and not fill the whole thing in, just half the width if that makes any sense. They LOVE being up high in there because they're wanting to perch on top of their gallon waterer......lol......Anyway it would have really been nice had they all been the same age and they'd have a much larger area since they're 2 of them this size. We put wire in between the two boxes so they could see each other and be used to each other.....BUT IF I move the RIR's out next week they wont be together anymore so to speak.

It's 75 at least here at night time now to so I am wondering IF the black australorps still need their light at night time? I have plastic over the top of their pens at night time and they're all staying away from the light so that tells me they're hot. With there being so many of them there's really no way to get very far from the light so I worry about them being too hot. Their pens are solid plyboard except for the tops which are hardware cloth and like i said I drape plastic over them and just leave a vent hole on the corners.

I turn the light off in the day time because it's 85 plus here now. They all are feeding and everything just fine.

 

[rachlore]

Wow, you seem to have nearly everything planned out. Congratulations! I would actually suggest you move the babies out at four to five weeks. This gives them some more time to feather out.

 

[Judy]

You should be able to mix chicks of different ages while all are under 4 weeks old. Putting them in a new place will help with the integration, too. Of course there will be some ecking any time you mix chickens, just as there is with an established flock. Just watch for blood.

I would turn the light off now, and start taking them out during the day. I imagine within a few days they will be ready to stay out at night as well. 75 is warm enough for 3 week old chicks, IMO. Be sure there is plenty of hay for them to snuggle into at night, while they are young -- if they even want to.

 

[Big Bubba]

I have 4 RIRs and it blew me away how fast they grew. These are going to be some big birds!

I've moved mine out after 4 weeks. They haven't fully understood there is more space out there then they are using. They huddle together a lot. They'd, also, rather complain about the rain instead of going into the coop or their nests.

The light went off after 3 weeks. They did not complain. At the temperature you say they are I'd say they're fine for the outdoors now.

 

[RoseMarie1]

Thank you all!!!

I feel much better about this now but worry about them since their BIG pen is a little ways from the house. I'd put down hay for them since it's an earth floor. We are working on it now to get it as predator proof as I can. Although I do want to put some better wire on the south side of their pen when I can because it is chicken wire and I worry about a large animal crashing in on it since I have heard they can. I think that 2x3 inch wire that is heavy duty would be better and would leave the chicken wire in place as well since the holes are smaller in it. Two sides of their pen is tin walled.
Anyway thanx again you guys! I am new to chicken raising and still trying to learn what I can to keep them safe. I raised ducks many years ago but never chickens.

ALSO talking about mixing the two groups, right now the black aust. are only half the size of these RIR;'s.
and yes they are blowing my mind to at how fast they are growing!