Should I bring my brooder and chicks inside?

[Chicken poppy]

No I do not have a hen to put with them. I just read 2 different articles on here about raising them outside. They didn't have hens. It is just a thought.

No you should definitely raise them outside but make sure you just dont plop them in the coop. Their very young and like nat said the sudden change of temp should be slowly introduced. You also may need to watch more closely to insure their not picking up germs or something (if there is any) if that makes sense.

 

[Missys Chicken Ranch]

No you should definitely raise them outside but make sure you just dont plop them in the coop. Their very young and like nat said the sudden change of temp should be slowly introduced. You also may need to watch more closely to insure their not picking up germs or something (if there is any) if that makes sense.

Yes, that makes sense. I am just trying to figure out the best setup for them, and my other two now that I think about it. I feel like I am doing all wrong. I have spent so much money trying to create a good space for my older 2, they are only 19 weeks, and to prepare for my new flock.. my husband is going to kill me. lol. I feel like I have been doing everything all wrong. oh man....

 

[Chicken poppy]

Yes, that makes sense. I am just trying to figure out the best setup for them, and my other two now that I think about it. I feel like I am doing all wrong. I have spent so much money trying to create a good space for my older 2, they are only 19 weeks, and to prepare for my new flock.. my husband is going to kill me. lol. I feel like I have been doing everything all wrong. oh man....

Im sure your doing fine. its good to make sure the older ones have their own space to relax and not be bugged by the bullies. Or if they are the bullies, for them not to beat up the younger ones. I think everything will go fine, but if you need help im here to answer questions (if i can)

 

[NatJ]

I feel like I have been doing everything all wrong.

No, you have not been doing things "all wrong."
You apparently have live, healthy chicks, so you have done a lot RIGHT.

I am just trying to figure out the best setup for them, and my other two now that I think about it. I feel like I am doing all wrong. I have spent so much money trying to create a good space for my older 2, they are only 19 weeks, and to prepare for my new flock.

So you have the young chicks at 2 weeks old, and two at 19 weeks old, and no other chickens?

If you want one possible sequence of moving your chicks outdoors:
--Leave the chicks where they are for now, until the weather next warms up.
(so they are in the garage, with heat lamp and additional heater.)

--As soon as the weather warms up a little bit, like up to 50 at night instead of 40 at night, turn off the additional heater in your garage. That would still leave the chicks with the heat lamp.

--A few days after that, start reducing how much heat the chicks get from their heat lamp. You can do that by raising the heat lamp, by moving the heat lamp further to one side or end, or by using a smaller bulb in it.

--I would try to have the chicks at the point of NO additional heat, but still in the garage, by the time they are 4 to 5 weeks old (or sooner, if they seem comfortable. Just watch how they act: happy contented chicks are fine, but huddled peeping chicks may need more heat. Chicks that are scared because you just moved the lamp will also huddle and peep, so wait at least 15 minutes for them to get used to a new situation before you decide they really need more heat.)

--Somewhere during the time you are reducing heat in the garage, I would start taking them outdoors in the daytime. Since you have said your weather is quite variable, just start with a day when the outdoor temperature is higher than whatever the brooder temperature is at that time. Gradually increase how long they spend outside, until they are spending all day outside no matter what the temperature is.

--once they are comfortable outside all day, have them spend the night outdoors (in the coop) as well. Watch the weather, and pick a night that is not extra-cold.

--a wire mesh divider can let the chicks start getting to know the adult chickens, but without any danger of getting pecked or bullied. Or they can spend their outside time in a pen next to where the big chickens live.

--once the chicks have been seeing the adults through the divider for a while, switch which birds are on which side of the divider. That lets the chicks explore all parts of the coop & run.

--When the chicks seem comfortable in all areas, try letting the chicks and adults be together. Watch them, in case you need to do any rescuing. But with only have 2 adult chickens, I think you have a good chance of getting them integrated quickly and easily. The temperaments of your adult chickens will have a BIG effect on whether this works, but of course you won't know how they react to chicks until you try it.

--if the adults are fine with the chicks, make sure there are several sources of food/water/hiding places, and leave them together. Check carefully at roosting time, until you've seen them go to bed properly for several nights in a row.

--if the adults are not fine with the chicks, consider making chick-sized openings in the divider, so the chicks can choose to mingle with the big birds but can easily escape when needed. That lets them integrate at their own pace.

There are MANY other ways you could progress to moving the chicks outdoors. This is just one option.

Here is another approach, that involves raising the chicks in the coop:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

 

[Chicken poppy]

No, you have not been doing things "all wrong."
You apparently have live, healthy chicks, so you have done a lot RIGHT.



So you have the young chicks at 2 weeks old, and two at 19 weeks old, and no other chickens?

If you want one possible sequence of moving your chicks outdoors:
--Leave the chicks where they are for now, until the weather next warms up.
(so they are in the garage, with heat lamp and additional heater.)

--As soon as the weather warms up a little bit, like up to 50 at night instead of 40 at night, turn off the additional heater in your garage. That would still leave the chicks with the heat lamp.

--A few days after that, start reducing how much heat the chicks get from their heat lamp. You can do that by raising the heat lamp, by moving the heat lamp further to one side or end, or by using a smaller bulb in it.

--I would try to have the chicks at the point of NO additional heat, but still in the garage, by the time they are 4 to 5 weeks old (or sooner, if they seem comfortable. Just watch how they act: happy contented chicks are fine, but huddled peeping chicks may need more heat. Chicks that are scared because you just moved the lamp will also huddle and peep, so wait at least 15 minutes for them to get used to a new situation before you decide they really need more heat.)

--Somewhere during the time you are reducing heat in the garage, I would start taking them outdoors in the daytime. Since you have said your weather is quite variable, just start with a day when the outdoor temperature is higher than whatever the brooder temperature is at that time. Gradually increase how long they spend outside, until they are spending all day outside no matter what the temperature is.

--once they are comfortable outside all day, have them spend the night outdoors (in the coop) as well. Watch the weather, and pick a night that is not extra-cold.

--a wire mesh divider can let the chicks start getting to know the adult chickens, but without any danger of getting pecked or bullied. Or they can spend their outside time in a pen next to where the big chickens live.

--once the chicks have been seeing the adults through the divider for a while, switch which birds are on which side of the divider. That lets the chicks explore all parts of the coop & run.

--When the chicks seem comfortable in all areas, try letting the chicks and adults be together. Watch them, in case you need to do any rescuing. But with only have 2 adult chickens, I think you have a good chance of getting them integrated quickly and easily. The temperaments of your adult chickens will have a BIG effect on whether this works, but of course you won't know how they react to chicks until you try it.

--if the adults are fine with the chicks, make sure there are several sources of food/water/hiding places, and leave them together. Check carefully at roosting time, until you've seen them go to bed properly for several nights in a row.

--if the adults are not fine with the chicks, consider making chick-sized openings in the divider, so the chicks can choose to mingle with the big birds but can easily escape when needed. That lets them integrate at their own pace.

There are MANY other ways you could progress to moving the chicks outdoors. This is just one option.

Here is another approach, that involves raising the chicks in the coop:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

Very well said nat. typically having young and older ones dont make a bunch of fuss. the older ones (even though some can be downright bullies) are typically mellow, and the youngers will tend to not bother them, (but they always can) although the younger ones can get on the elders nerves.

 

[Missys Chicken Ranch]

No, you have not been doing things "all wrong."
You apparently have live, healthy chicks, so you have done a lot RIGHT.



So you have the young chicks at 2 weeks old, and two at 19 weeks old, and no other chickens?

If you want one possible sequence of moving your chicks outdoors:
--Leave the chicks where they are for now, until the weather next warms up.
(so they are in the garage, with heat lamp and additional heater.)

--As soon as the weather warms up a little bit, like up to 50 at night instead of 40 at night, turn off the additional heater in your garage. That would still leave the chicks with the heat lamp.

--A few days after that, start reducing how much heat the chicks get from their heat lamp. You can do that by raising the heat lamp, by moving the heat lamp further to one side or end, or by using a smaller bulb in it.

--I would try to have the chicks at the point of NO additional heat, but still in the garage, by the time they are 4 to 5 weeks old (or sooner, if they seem comfortable. Just watch how they act: happy contented chicks are fine, but huddled peeping chicks may need more heat. Chicks that are scared because you just moved the lamp will also huddle and peep, so wait at least 15 minutes for them to get used to a new situation before you decide they really need more heat.)

--Somewhere during the time you are reducing heat in the garage, I would start taking them outdoors in the daytime. Since you have said your weather is quite variable, just start with a day when the outdoor temperature is higher than whatever the brooder temperature is at that time. Gradually increase how long they spend outside, until they are spending all day outside no matter what the temperature is.

--once they are comfortable outside all day, have them spend the night outdoors (in the coop) as well. Watch the weather, and pick a night that is not extra-cold.

--a wire mesh divider can let the chicks start getting to know the adult chickens, but without any danger of getting pecked or bullied. Or they can spend their outside time in a pen next to where the big chickens live.

--once the chicks have been seeing the adults through the divider for a while, switch which birds are on which side of the divider. That lets the chicks explore all parts of the coop & run.

--When the chicks seem comfortable in all areas, try letting the chicks and adults be together. Watch them, in case you need to do any rescuing. But with only have 2 adult chickens, I think you have a good chance of getting them integrated quickly and easily. The temperaments of your adult chickens will have a BIG effect on whether this works, but of course you won't know how they react to chicks until you try it.

--if the adults are fine with the chicks, make sure there are several sources of food/water/hiding places, and leave them together. Check carefully at roosting time, until you've seen them go to bed properly for several nights in a row.

--if the adults are not fine with the chicks, consider making chick-sized openings in the divider, so the chicks can choose to mingle with the big birds but can easily escape when needed. That lets them integrate at their own pace.

There are MANY other ways you could progress to moving the chicks outdoors. This is just one option.

Here is another approach, that involves raising the chicks in the coop:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/integrating-new-birds-at-4-weeks-old.72603/

Thank you. I have 2 chickens that are 19 weeks old and 9 chicks that are 2 weeks old. I have a privacy fence around my backyard. Within that area I have a 14x75ft fenced in area with 2 manufactured chicken coops in it. I regret that now, but... its what I got. The smaller coop my 2 older chickens are using. One of those chickens turns out, is a rooster. He seems pretty chill so far. The other coop at the other end of the fenced off area has a bigger coop that is not being used. This will be for the 9 chicks... for now until I get them all integrated into one big happy flock. I will fence them off from the other 2 originally. Thank you for the link. I will check it out. Our temps will be going back up in the 70's this weekend. Once the chicks are older I will take them outside for a bit in what will be there area. I will sit in there with them and let them explore and make sure they cannot sneak out and that they are okay.

 

[NatJ]

Our temps will be going back up in the 70's this weekend.

Given the age of your chicks, when the temperatures go up into the 70s, it's fine to take them outside for a while.

They will probably huddle and peep because it is new and scary, but they will be fine for at least 10 to 15 minutes at that temperature. Once they quit being scared, you can use their behavior to judge when they need to go back inside to warm up.

 

[Missys Chicken Ranch]

Given the age of your chicks, when the temperatures go up into the 70s, it's fine to take them outside for a while.

They will probably huddle and peep because it is new and scary, but they will be fine for at least 10 to 15 minutes at that temperature. Once they quit being scared, you can use their behavior to judge when they need to go back inside to warm up.

Okay, thank you. I don't mind waiting until they get older. I am in no rush. I can wait until they are 4 weeks old. In the meantime I can work on fencing off their area, adding another gate and maybe getting a chicken shed instead.

 

[3KillerBs]

I have raised chicks twice now in this huge brooder and found that they spent very little time under the lamp and a lot more time away from it.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/run-to-outdoor-brooder-conversion.76634/

I made sure that the area directly under the lamp at the height of a chick's back was the recommended temperature, but avoided heating more than a circle of space big enough for them to gather in. I used both the height of the lamp on it's chain and the wattage of the bulb to control that.

The current batch is 6-weeks-old and has been off heat for 2 weeks now -- fully-feathered and coping just fine with life in the coop and nighttime temperatures in the low 40's(F).

 

[Missys Chicken Ranch]

I have raised chicks twice now in this huge brooder and found that they spent very little time under the lamp and a lot more time away from it.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/run-to-outdoor-brooder-conversion.76634/

I made sure that the area directly under the lamp at the height of a chick's back was the recommended temperature, but avoided heating more than a circle of space big enough for them to gather in. I used both the height of the lamp on it's chain and the wattage of the bulb to control that.

The current batch is 6-weeks-old and has been off heat for 2 weeks now -- fully-feathered and coping just fine with life in the coop and nighttime temperatures in the low 40's(F).

Thank you.