Three week old chicks-how much room?

[blusbro]

We have six chicks in a standard size pack and play pen in the house. They all seem very happy and healthy! Today, one of them had torn a piece of newspaper from the bottom and they were all chasing the chick around. Another would grab the piece of paper and the chase was on again!

So my question is - is the playpen big enough for them? I am going to move them to the garage today with a heat lamp. It’s still in the 40’s for high temps and the 20’s for lows, so they can’t go out to the coop yet. Plus, the coop isn’t complete!

 

[azygous]

Sounds like a healthy bunch. The playpen is probably adequate for now. Once you see them perching up on the rails of the pen, you'll know that a jail break is imminent, that they're telling you they're big kids now, and they need to have larger quarters.

 

[llombardo]

I just picked up a playpen at the local good will for 4.99 to put one of my almost year old chickens(she was being picked on brutally). They have nets for the playpens or you can go and buy a bird net and put it over the top to keep them in. I just moved my 8 babies that are almost 3 weeks to an x-x-large dog crate. They fly around, roost, play and then they are out like a light.

 

[SueT]

Best get your coop done asap, they will grow out of the brooder FAST! The garage temps will help cold harden them. I move chicks out to coop at 4-5 weeks, and they have done fine with no heat by then, even with lows in the 30's.