Topic of the Week - Moving Chicks Outside

[Harmony Fowl]

This is the BEST advice I've been given by ANYONE and beyond anything I've read... I cannot thank you enough. I'll pick up that brooder (even if it's only for a few days as the underneath area isn't ideal in the barn, kind of gross...) and just get them out of the hutch since it's elevated to your point and then let that be the place they go nest in at night... perhaps I leave them all with mom in there for a few days at worse so she goes in there.
Two more questions:
1) Do I leave their food in there with that tiny water & feeder for chicks that I'm using now? As I have a huge water trough as my birds hate the hanging water container and refuse to drink out of it since it's in the 90s. I'm afraid the chicks will drown --- but perhaps I leave them in the brooder with mom until 2 weeks and at that point they're big enough? it's a large trough probably too big for 11 hens and a roo.
2) Ditto with food - can I mix grower and layer together and leave that out for everyone?

This is brilliant - and SO helpful - I cannot thank you enough for this. ~Christy

If you move their location, you may find you need to move them all for a night or two to the new spot, but they'll get it.

You're right to be cautious of the big water trough. Could you add something to it so they cannot drown? Bricks or rocks or something that would allow everyone to drink without the risk of falling in. Two weeks would be a lot less risky than now, but they're still tiny for awhile. My five-week-olds have only just now gotten too big to slip through the fence. I've had chicks large enough to fly up onto the rim of the feed bucket fall in and be unable to free themselves. I'd find some way to make the water shallower.

I actually feed a specialty flock feed for more exotic birds since I have chickens, turkeys and guineas together. All the birds eat it, even the regular old laying hens. I would feed the grower to everyone as the lowest common denominator until the chicks are ready for layer feed.

I make sure there's always one food bowl and waterer within reach of new chicks. You can use their old ones, but mom will show them how to use the big ones.

 

[Ccaplan]

If you move their location, you may find you need to move them all for a night or two to the new spot, but they'll get it.

You're right to be cautious of the big water trough. Could you add something to it so they cannot drown? Bricks or rocks or something that would allow everyone to drink without the risk of falling in. Two weeks would be a lot less risky than now, but they're still tiny for awhile. My five-week-olds have only just now gotten too big to slip through the fence. I've had chicks large enough to fly up onto the rim of the feed bucket fall in and be unable to free themselves. I'd find some way to make the water shallower.

I actually feed a specialty flock feed for more exotic birds since I have chickens, turkeys and guineas together. All the birds eat it, even the regular old laying hens. I would feed the grower to everyone as the lowest common denominator until the chicks are ready for layer feed.

I make sure there's always one food bowl and waterer within reach of new chicks. You can use their old ones, but mom will show them how to use the big ones.

Thank you! Rocks are a great idea - and I can absolutely do that. To your point they're going to be small for awhile and I'll need to add hardware cloth to the bottom half of the outside of the netting anyway so I should just get her done and in a few days have mom make the call. The new brooder has a door I can just leave open. And when I do I'll change to grower. This has been tremendously helpful - and I plan to do all of it! She's been pretty focused thus far so I'm sure it'll be fine and I'll supervise that first week... Thanks so much for answering all these questions!

 

[Ccaplan]

Hi! One more q - they are moved and it's so much larger and they seem happier but sometimes mom looks frustrated so I'll get them out this week or open the door... the lead Wyandotte hen came over and it appeared that the two got into it through the netting - all bluster and puffiness but it was like the Wynadotte was challenging the mom which I thought was odd - what in the world will happen when I give them all the option this week of leaving and coming back into the brooder on their own? Also - I'm putting up extra netting on the outside so the little ones cannot get out which make take a few days - will a few extra days in this brooder matter? Thanks!

 

[Harmony Fowl]

When I have to keep chickens for a short time in less than ideal conditions, by my standards, I always remind myself there are birds who never go outside or touch the ground. Don't make yourself feel bad over what's probably perfectly adequate for a few more days.

When you moved the hen and chicks, the change probably brought on a reaction from the other hen. Any kind of change can make that happen as they sort out who is the boss of who. The hen outside probably wanted to make an impression on the broody, and of course the broody would have no bullying of her chicks. I very much doubt anyone will get into much once they're released. You may want to consider creating more than one exit to the brooder set up. It's always best not to have corners and dead ends where any chicken of any age can be caught and held by another bird bent on making too strong a point.

 

[Ccaplan]

Thank you so much for this - you're so right, a few more days won't matter and overall I think we're in fine shape. Maybe it was a good idea to get them in that brooder even temporarily as the hutch didn't have the babies and mom "on display" like the brooder does and everyone wanders over to see how things are going so they all know mom and her chicks are part of the mix! Pretty sure they're jealous of the food I give those babies throughout the day not to mention attention. Great idea as my brooder has a side door but only a top opening which isn't an exit so I need to create one... I'll work on this during the week. Thank you! (do you have any pics of your coop? My barn set up that I inherited is awful so I'm researching new options).

 

[CountryChic63]

Thank you for all of this information.
We are getting our first chicks Friday.
I hope I didn't make a big mistake by purchasing only 5 pullets with 1 rooster. I read last night that a rooster may over breed the hens unless there are at least 8 hens. So I'm glad the post was here on BYC to inform me of this, and it will be something I will watch for; if it happens we will either sell or process the rooster or buy a few more hens.

 

[Harmony Fowl]

Here's my brooder. It's 7' by 2' or something close to that. It's a little too tall; I'm 5'9" and have to hoist myself over a little too much for my taste. Anyway, you can see the small doors cut in either end. Those work for quite some time. I'd say chicks up to three months old can still get in and out. Sometimes the older chicks who have already been kicked out can get in but can't figure out how to exit, lol. I typically open the gates (which have bricks blocking them normally) at four weeks and completely evict the chicks from the space at six weeks. That's for chicks with no mom.

My coop is a 10' by 10' lean-to built between the house and a shed. You can see it behind the brooder. Just a plain old square, walk-in height. The brooder isn't in exactly the same position anymore, but is still under the cover of the lean-to overhang.

 

[Ccaplan]

Here's my brooder. It's 7' by 2' or something close to that. It's a little too tall; I'm 5'9" and have to hoist myself over a little too much for my taste. Anyway, you can see the small doors cut in either end. Those work for quite some time. I'd say chicks up to three months old can still get in and out. Sometimes the older chicks who have already been kicked out can get in but can't figure out how to exit, lol. I typically open the gates (which have bricks blocking them normally) at four weeks and completely evict the chicks from the space at six weeks. That's for chicks with no mom.

My coop is a 10' by 10' lean-to built between the house and a shed. You can see it behind the brooder. Just a plain old square, walk-in height. The brooder isn't in exactly the same position anymore, but is still under the cover of the lean-to overhang.
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As always - this is incredibly helpful. I wasn't sure where to put the doors but I get it now and I can make them out of the existing netting and just cut a door out with wire cutters - the goal is to make them small enough but big enough for mom to get back in to? (Sorry dumb Q). I remember you saying to make a nest under my rabbit hutch initially so wanted to clarify. Or I think the one door I have is big enough for both but the others need to be chick size only.... Thank you! (fence in progress...almost done). Thanks for explaining your coop too - there are so many designs, etc and I need something super functional vs. fancy...

 

[Harmony Fowl]

I apologize. I’m getting my advice crossed just like you did earlier. It would be good to have multiple exits so no one can be cornered, but they need not be small. Mom will do most of what protection is required. Yes, it should be big enough for her to get back in. That will also make it big enough for the other chickens, but in your circumstances, that isn’t such a big deal. Mom will look after her chicks; small doors are only really needed when the chicks are on their own.

Multiple exits, no dead ends, barriers to break line of sight, even just boards leaning against a wall or fence. All of these help make a space easily shared by a flock, even one that gets along well.

 

[Ccaplan]

Thank you so much - I totally wasn't sure so appreciate you clarifying. I've got the wire cutters out so the door may be a block of wood - do I need to ever close it back up? One more question - do I leave the starter food in the small feeder for them? I'll be switching everyone to grower at that point but leaving out oyster shell... Thank you!!