Still confused about brooders and spacing for chicks

[arianatheodd]

Well, my chicks are about a month old now and because of the smell/weather I moved them outside into their 8x3x2 pen that I thought was safe. My cat, Sayda, defied logic and managed to pull 3 birds through 1 inch square holes (heavy gauge metal that did not give either) working in about a 6"x1' area before they could run into the completely enclosed box from her. She must have scared or scratched 2 more because the next day they died. Obviously I went and bought more hardware mesh to protect them and then will finish with a chain link barrier and skirt that I didn't think I would need. The cat is confined to the bathroom until I think I have it Sayda-proof.

I have read and re-read all the info I can but I still don't quite know how to gage when to move them into a larger enclosure or what size holes they can still fit through.

Like at 1 week they could fit in something with 1/2 holes at the largest, right? At what point could I safely put them in a pen with 1" holes, with 2" holes, with 2 1/2" holes, etc?

Coincidentally, the kid I bought my original birds from texted me last night and has 30 1 day old birds ready. Literally hatching the day that mine were killed I won't be picking any up til next week but how long before I could mix the young ones with the old ones safely? If I buy adult birds from the person near me when can I mix them with the older and younger chicks?

Other than my cat attack I haven't had any huge problems with raising and I'm "practicing" with duck and chicken eggs in my incubator- they are developing so I haven't killed them yet.

Thanks for any help!

 

[BoutrosBoutrosGalusGalus]

Most people swear by the half inch hardware cloth as it keeps the hands of pesky predators out and still has strength. You aren't supposed to mix quail more than 4 days apart until they are sexually mature at around 8 weeks. I tend to mix up ones up to a week apart in my big brooder with few troubles. Adult birds should not be with young ones. They can get pretty aggressive.

 

[TwoCrows]

The only hardware cloth to use is 1/2 inch. Anything bigger and all sorts of things can get in...mice, rats, snakes, paws of all kinds. So I would suggest sticking to the 1/2 inch cloth on all pens and runs.

 

[GAHillbillies]

We don't mix our groups if there is more than two weeks difference in age. The older ones can get aggressive. Our cages are made of 1"x2" wire on the sides and top and 1/2"x1/2" for the bottoms on the ones that are inside of a coop, the ones on the outside are made the same but with a second layer of wire on the sides of 1/2"x1/2" over the 1"x2" for predetor proofing. We house up to 5 female with one male in a 24"x24" cage. Right now we are trying a colony approach with about 30 birds in a 5 ft x 5 ft to see how they grow. Right now they are doing very well and love having all that room to run around in. It is also on the ground with lots of vegetation and sand and hiding spots.

 

[arianatheodd]

Thanks for the info. I found out the hard way yesterday that my houdini cat managed to kill another bird without even being able to bite it through chicken wire and garden fencing. I may just throw her into a boarding kennel until I have everything covered. It would be great if she just stuck to killing mice, moles, and rats.

But on the plus side I had the presence of mind to break open one of my amoxy capsules and medicate the one bird she punctured and preventative doses for the rest of them. So far the injured bird is still eating and active, I don't think it will ever regain use of it's one leg but that doesn't matter.

So 2" spacing is probably the largest I can have anywhere I keep the birds? I found out that a livestock auction my fiance took me to happened to have Coturnix chicks so I am going next week to get birds that are not related to mine and the new ones I'm getting. I will be putting all of the birds inside our soon to be vacant house in separate rabbit cages so that I can quarantine and keep the age groups apart.

If my cat was out of the picture I probably would still have 12 lol but at least I know where my weaknesses in fencing were rather than having a coon kill all of them in one night. I brought them back inside until further notice.