So I take their food away tonight?

[RebelEgger]

I just moved the chicks into their coop today. They are 5 weeks old. I know when they are older they don’t need food/water in the coop, but with them being young do I leave it in there or take it away tonight and put it back in the morning?
thanks

 

[Doc7]

There is absolutely no need to take it in and out. I leave my food in the coop and water in the run year round. Pick where you want it and that’s where it goes. I fill my feeders the first Sunday of every month and thats the only time I touch a feeder.

Chicks have a tractor supply chick feeder (similar to your waterer, a style that I avoid) until about 16 days old and then switch to a maxwell house coffee can with 1” PVC elbows (no waste feeder.). After 5-6 days of that, they go to a 1.5” elbow cat litter box no waste feeder. By 8 weeks they switch to the adult feeder with 2” pvc elbows.

 

[GC-Raptor]

My raised coops are rodent proof when I close the pop door after sunset.
If you remove feed after sunset, they'll be hungry at sunrise. Sunrise here is 5:15.
My well ventilated coops have feed and water 24/7. GC

 

[RebelEgger]

There is absolutely no need to take it in and out. I leave my food in the coop and water in the run year round. Pick where you want it and that’s where it goes. I fill my feeders the first Sunday of every month and thats the only time I touch a feeder.

Chicks have a tractor supply chick feeder (similar to your waterer, a style that I avoid) until about 16 days old and then switch to a maxwell house coffee can with 1” PVC elbows (no waste feeder.). After 5-6 days of that, they go to a 1.5” elbow cat litter box no waste feeder. By 8 weeks they switch to the adult feeder with 2” pvc elbows.

We are making a bucket watered tomorrow with horizontal nipples... then I need to train them to it (I am not crazy about this water set up)
Do you have pics of your feeders?

 

[IamRainey]

This is in NO way an answer to your question. I'm just sharing my experience. And this is my very first experience with broody-raised chicks. So filter what I offer through that.

That said, my chicks are about 2 weeks old. They stayed with their mama hen in a nesting box in the coop originally. While they were up there I provided food and water. When they followed her down to the run a few days ago* I was at a loss. I tried to provide food and water for them in a quiet corner but when there's something new, everybody is all over it! So that wasn't working.

I wrung my hands thinking they'd starve. They haven't. They're growing and thriving. On what, exactly, I have no idea but it's fun to watch them follow their mama around and scratch and peck in the dirt of the run just like she does.

When I put out overgrown squash or whatever from the garden they may have to avoid the frenzy and wait their turn but they manage to peck away at what the older hens leave.

I'm amazed how capable they are right from the start!

_____

* I'm in SoCal. We're up to the high 70s and 80s already. We've even had some triple digits so they have all the warmth they need.

 

[RebelEgger]

My raised coops are rodent proof when I close the pop door after sunset.
If you remove feed after sunset, they'll be hungry at sunrise. Sunrise here is 5:15.
My well ventilated coops have feed and water 24/7. View attachment 2191469 GC

Our coop is raised as well and rodent proof (at least it should be, we’ll find out!) I will leave their food with them. Thanks!!

 

[RebelEgger]

This is in NO way an answer to your question. I'm just sharing my experience. And this is my very first experience with broody-raised chicks.

That said, my chicks are about 2 weeks old. They stayed with their mama hen in a nesting box in the coop originally. While they were up there I provided food and water. When they followed her down to the run a few days ago* I was at a loss. I tried to provide food and water for them in a quiet corner but when there's something new, everybody is all over it! So that wasn't working.

I wrung my hands thinking they'd starve. They haven't. They're growing and thriving. On what, exactly, I have no idea but it's fun to watch them follow their mama around and scratch in the dirt of the run just like she does.

When I put out overgrown squash or whatever from the garden they may have to wait their turn but they manage to peck away at what the older hens leave.

I'm amazed how capable they are right from the start!

_____

* I'm in SoCal. We're up to the high 70s and 80s already. We've even had some triple digits.

I am in Nova Scotia, it’s 19 degrees Decius out now. They have had their heat plate to rely on up until today but mostly haven’t used it, occasionally I’d see a couple of them under it but they hadn’t been sleeping with it. Ugh first night on their own, I’m so worried. But yes, they seem pretty self sufficient!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Answer is: completely up to you. I remove my feeder overnight, so it doesn't attract rodents, and also because the girls occasionally bump it while coming off roosts, so it just gets it out of the way.

I also am in the middle of training my chicks on the horizontal nipples. My bucket is set so high I had to build little steps for them to reach it! But they mostly get the idea now. I already removed their old waterer and will keep an eye on them the next few days to make sure they continue using the nipples without problem.

Super cute pup!

 

[Doc7]

We are making a bucket watered tomorrow with horizontal nipples... then I need to train them to it (I am not crazy about this water set up)
Do you have pics of your feeders?

I literally just recorded a video on transitioning them to a horizontal nipple bucket waterer At 10 days old, I’ll get it uploaded and a link on this thread ASAP.

here are the feeders. The hen feeder is in coop where it always is , the teenager feeder is in the run because the 6 week olds are mixed with hens and I wanted them to have their feeder a litter farther from the hens to be able to eat in peace. The coffee can feeder will be what I give my chicks in 4-5 days. They are all sizes of the same thing.

 

[RebelEgger]

Answer is: completely up to you. I remove my feeder overnight, so it doesn't attract rodents, and also because the girls occasionally bump it while coming off roosts, so it just gets it out of the way.

I also am in the middle of training my chicks on the horizontal nipples. My bucket is set so high I had to build little steps for them to reach it! But they mostly get the idea now. I already removed their old waterer and will keep an eye on them the next few days to make sure they continue using the nipples without problem.

Super cute pup!

Thanks Rose, he (the dog, Corona - poor guy such an unfortunate name right now) was very concerned that his chickens were in a new spot!)
I feel we have our coop like Fort Knox for rodents, hopefully we are correct!
So the nipples, how long have you been training them to them? Do they seem to be taking to it ok? I plan on starting the next batch on the nipples right away. I’m so over cleaning shavings out of water bowls