Square feet per chick at 8 weeks?

[EmmaDonovan]

When keeping chicks in a brooder until they're 8 or 9 weeks old, how many square feet per bird is needed at that age?

 

[nuthatched]

1 or 2, there's no need to keep them in a brooder that long though.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Recommended minimum at that age is 2 sq ft per, but I guarantee you they'll be bouncing off the walls with that amount of space. They really should be out of the brooder well before that age.

 

[EmmaDonovan]

At what age can they be released into a predator proof run?

 

[rosemarythyme]

At what age can they be released into a predator proof run?

I start letting my littles loose around 10 days old. At around 2 weeks they have full day time coop and run access. If I didn't have adults to integrate them with they could have full access at the earlier mark.

 

[NatJ]

At what age can they be released into a predator proof run?

That depends on the temperature.

If you can provide a place for them to warm up, any time after about a week to 10 days old. The place to warm up can be a heat lamp or brooder plate inside an attached coop, as long as the chicks know where it is and how to access it.

If you cannot provide a warm place, then they can be in a predator-proof run when they have enough feathers to deal with the temperature. This can be quite young in the summer, and much older in the winter.