Too big for the brooder, too cold for the tractor?

[max13077]

I have 25 X's and they are rapidly outgrowing their brooder pen. They will be 5 weeks old this coming Friday. Is is too cold to put them in the tractor? Lows have been 40-50 at night. Before it wouldn't have mattered cause I raised them last year in the barn. But I decided I wanted to try the tractor method. I can hang a heat lamp if necessary. Thoughts?

 

[MaineChickens]

Heat lamp... and if it is not enclosed, at least tarp it to hold the heat in somewhat.

They should be getting fairly feathered at 5 weeks... well at least for cornish Xs

 

[miss_thenorth]

Wow--five weeks I;m surprised you are stilll tolerating the indoors! Definitely outside, with a heat lamp. make sure to protect from wind/rain in the enclosure.

 

[jamieneenah]

Quote:
I have *many* cornish inside at almost 4 weeks. Do they get a lot worse soon? They have almost no odor now, new pine shavings added daily.
Jamie

 

[bheila]

Put those suckers outside with a lamp. I always raise my X's outside in a dog kennel. I haven't lost one yet.

 

[AkTomboy]

Wow I am also impressed with them still being inside I almost didnt make 3 weeks with mine. Out they are with two heat lamps as we are still getting low temps but its our norm for the time of year. A lamp and tarp to help keep the heat in sounds like a good fit for you.

 

[max13077]

It's 47 outside right now and I can see them out the window. Apparently the cool, windy, wet weather doesn't bother them. They're all out from under the tarp eating this new stuff, "what do you call this? Grass?"

AkTomboy,

You live in Delta Junction?!? That's awesome!!

 

[Boyd]

ya'll wanna get those fast fatties outside asap

 

[bigredfeather]

I moved mine to the tractor w/ a heat lamp at 1 week old. I did put a tarp over it to hold in the heat. Night temps then where close to what you have right now, if not colder. When I opened the tractor do in the morning, you could notice the warmer temp inside the tractor. They are 5 weeks old today and I haven't lost any out of 30. Last night it was rainy and windy here. The tarp had blown off, but it didn't seem to bother them a bit. After 2 batches in the barn, I decided a tractor would be much easier, and so far it has been. It takes about a minute to move the tractor, instead of an hour cleaning the pen and not to mention $12 worth of shavings it took to rebed the pen.

I too am surprised you can tolerate them in a brooder this long. I can smell mine when I get close to the tractor outside.

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[max13077]

I'm amazed how much they poop in one day. Mine were in a coop that was big enough so I would only have to clean it once a week. They are in a more confined area now and the amount of poo is amazing! Gonna have to move that thing at least every day, if not every 12 hours!!!