Too soon to move 1 week old chicks out to Hen House?

[sojeo]

We are going to move our four 6 week old chicks out to the hen house tonight, if all goes as planned. They will have their heat lamp if it gets too cold, but I don't think that it will be needed. Things are going great with them, my problem is what to do with my three 1 week old chicks. They are in the brooder in the house beside the big girls and they were just getting used to each other. I don't want to separate them and then have to reintroduce everyone all over again. Can I move their brooder into the coop with the big girls? They will still have their own little lamp, feed and water inside. I plan on cutting a little chicky door in the side when they are a bit bigger so that they can come and go as they please to get away from the big girls. I also have another batch of eggs just set in the bator a day ago and will have to do the same with them. Is 1 week too young to put out in the coop? My gut tells me it's ok, but then what do I know about chickens yet?!

Thanks!

 

[KellyHM]

They should be fine out there as long as it's well sheltered and they have their light. My problem down here in FL is that it gets TOO hot during the day with their light on...I turn it off during the day and on at night.

 

[sojeo]

I just bought an outlet for $10 that will turn on automatically at dusk, not a timer, but has a photocell. I am going to use that for the big girls' heat lamp and leave the 1 weekers heat lamp plugged in all the time. I also think that I will need the windows cracked at bit during the day as it gets quite warm in the coop. We just put the shingles on the roof and it's made quite a difference, add that to the 2 full length thermal windows, hope we don't have a greenhouse instead of a hen house!

 

[SimplyForties]

Quote:
I'm surprised it's cool enough to turn it on at night!

 

[Gonzo]

I put my 3 week olds in a caged play yard in the coop so they would have more room. I have'nt had their light on at night in more than a week. Word of advice... make sure yo have a fence or something on top of what you plan to put them in so the other chickens don't get in there, or roost an the edges at night. Good Luck!

 

[KellyHM]

Quote:
I'm surprised it's cool enough to turn it on at night!

LOL, they probably don't actually NEED it, but it makes me feel better...

 

[sojeo]

Just came back from the coop at 12 midnight and everyone is sleeping now.

The three 1 weekers have their heat lamp and are flopped out on their bedding. The four 6 weekers were doing that cheeping that they were unhappy

, so I put their 100w bulb on above a small roost in the corner and they eventually settled down after I left.

If I hadn't put the light in the corner I know that they would have all slept on top of the brooder by the heat lamp and made a mess of the screens, terrorizing the little ones at the same time!

I feel kind of like I have an empty nest, only thing that's comforting me is the fact that I think I'm getting six 5 day olds tomorrow and my full bator full of eggs!

Those chicks are funny, when I was in there sitting with them while they were getting used to the new digs, they were crawling up in my lap trying to go to sleep there! I've never felt so loved by my chickies!

I will post some pics of our brand new "Chicken Condo" soon. I found some great tip out wooden bins in the attic of our old barn that will be just perfect under the nest boxes for storing the different feeds, de, grit, etc. I can hardly wait until it is totally finished, it's been a long time coming, only being able to pick away at it on the weekends. I love raising chickens!