i have 13 four week old chicks in a 4x4 brooder pen indoors in a heated room. I removed their direct heater two days ago and provided 2 low roosts which they are using during the day. I’m gradually reducing the temperature in their room 5 degrees Celsius at a time on the electric baseboard heater every few days (it started at 20C).
I want to move them outside very soon because they are getting fragrant and I’m borrowing the indoor space and can’t expand it any. I will be moving them up to pasture near where I am building my house, and we have no electricity there. It isn’t safe to move them outside where they are (the owners dogs hunt birds, and there are some predator problems with raccoons and weasels), I’m living and working 2 miles away at our house build site, which makes transitioning them gradually challenging.
I also want to keep them far enough away from the other industrial layer type chickens already down by the electricity, as they have some severe leg mite and lice issues (some of the birds are very old, the existing coop is 60+ years old, I keep suggesting we “repair” it with a can of gasoline and a match, but it has great sentimental value to the farm owners from when they were children 60 years ago).
It is getting down to freezing here at night, and I’m not sure how to proceed.
I want to move them outside very soon because they are getting fragrant and I’m borrowing the indoor space and can’t expand it any. I will be moving them up to pasture near where I am building my house, and we have no electricity there. It isn’t safe to move them outside where they are (the owners dogs hunt birds, and there are some predator problems with raccoons and weasels), I’m living and working 2 miles away at our house build site, which makes transitioning them gradually challenging.
I also want to keep them far enough away from the other industrial layer type chickens already down by the electricity, as they have some severe leg mite and lice issues (some of the birds are very old, the existing coop is 60+ years old, I keep suggesting we “repair” it with a can of gasoline and a match, but it has great sentimental value to the farm owners from when they were children 60 years ago).
It is getting down to freezing here at night, and I’m not sure how to proceed.