Separating Chicks for Extra Room

[MadChickenMama]

So the brooder I have set up for my chicks I feel is getting a touch too small. I'd like to split the chicks up so they can have more room.

I was wondering what would be a good way to separate them. There are about 3, maybe 4, that are getting red on their combs already. I know males fight and I've already seen a couple of fights.

So, advice?

 

[snow5164]

Split the red heads up equally or put them all together , it’s realky up to you . At what I assume is a young age , it’s all just showing off at this point .

 

[Thyme4Chickens]

Are you brooding inside? I saw a pic on this forum once of someone who used a couple appliance boxes (check local stores - maybe you can get some for free!). A couple huge boxes taped together with a doorway cut between)

With lots of room, you can put things in the brooder like small cardboard box "caves" and branches for perches - giving chicks lots to do.

Or, can you brood them out in the coop?

If you separate them, then you'd just have to integrate them later (unless you won't be keeping them all?).

 

[MadChickenMama]

Are you brooding inside? I saw a pic on this forum once of someone who used a couple appliance boxes (check local stores - maybe you can get some for free!). A couple huge boxes taped together with a doorway cut between)

With lots of room, you can put things in the brooder like small cardboard box "caves" and branches for perches - giving chicks lots to do.

Or, can you brood them out in the coop?

If you separate them, then you'd just have to integrate them later (unless you won't be keeping them all?).

Yeah I was thinking about the fact that they would have to be reintegrated.

At first I was thinking maybe they're too young to go into the room I was going to put them in, but maybe they aren't. I have a small storage room in my house that doesn't have carpet and the floor is easily cleaned. Maybe I will just go ahead and put them all in there. And I can do the box cave thing and I'd love to give them a roost. Lol right now I have a partially rolled up towel made into a nest for them that they absolutely love and some love to perch on the rolled up part.

 

[lazy gardener]

Do you have a coop? Do you have plans for a bachelor pad for the cockerels? If not, I suggest that you make plans for that b/c those cockerels will be forcing their attention of the pullets before you know it. IMO the stress of having cockerels who are thinking with their hormones is very disruptive to the rest of the flock. By 3 weeks of age, chicks should be off heat if they are in the house. by 4 - 5 weeks of age, they can and should be off heat and settled into their coop.

 

[MadChickenMama]

Do you have a coop? Do you have plans for a bachelor pad for the cockerels? If not, I suggest that you make plans for that b/c those cockerels will be forcing their attention of the pullets before you know it. IMO the stress of having cockerels who are thinking with their hormones is very disruptive to the rest of the flock. By 3 weeks of age, chicks should be off heat if they are in the house. by 4 - 5 weeks of age, they can and should be off heat and settled into their coop.

I am working hard on getting the coip set up but keep running into problems. It is extremely frustrating. Just a few minutes ago found the perfect thing for a coop that would allow me to separate them that wouldn't cost me an arm and a leg but it needs to be picked up today and my sister is not in town and won't be back until after 7pm and she took my van so I can't even go get the thing myself. Just really P.O.ed about it right now.

But yeah, working on it.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Since the coop isn't ready I'd try to expand the brooder space rather than separate the chicks and have to reintegrate later. Or is there maybe a temporary run or pen you could set up outside? If they can work off some energy outside they'll be easier to manage in the brooder at the end of the day.

 

[MadChickenMama]

Since the coop isn't ready I'd try to expand the brooder space rather than separate the chicks and have to reintegrate later. Or is there maybe a temporary run or pen you could set up outside? If they can work off some energy outside they'll be easier to manage in the brooder at the end of the day.

Nothing outside yet. I'm trying to get the run done first and have been working everyday to figure out specifics so I know how much of what supplies I need to get. I'm just doing a simple hoop coop thing for the run. I've got 2 nice, but cheap, tv stands on hold that I found on a buy/sell/trade group on facebook. Gonna clean them up and fix them up for sturdy but temporary coops until I can get better stuff to build something.

Here is the storage room I plan to put them in until I can get them outside. It is just a little over 6'x6'. Just gotta move the stuff out. I'll be putting two baby gates (one on top of the other) in the open doorway for while they're still too little to jump up that high. That way I can leave the door open and easily get in and out. And of course I'll be taking the shoe rack down, lol. Th is was where I put the broody hen for a few days when the eggs were incubating.

 

[Thyme4Chickens]

I am working hard on getting the coip set up but keep running into problems. It is extremely frustrating.

I hear ya! Between rain and my husband having to work a good deal of unexpected overtime, we are so far behind, too! Our pullets are sleeping in the office room in our garage and spending their days in a cobbled together pen outside. Hang in there - we will get there!

 

[Thyme4Chickens]

BTW, how old are your chicks?

One thing that my chicks loved in their brooder before we got them outside was a big lump of soil that we dug out of the yard. (just shovel up grass/roots/soil and dump into some sort of box or container.) Really gave them lots to do instead of pick on one another!