Hi all - we have 2 week old chicks that have been under a heat lamp since day 1. I have made a MHP and moved them to our 6’x6’ enclosed coop. Will they move to the MHP without assistance? I put one under and she ran right out! It is on the left side of this photo - you may have to click to enlarge.
They should. I did the same thing and mine took right to it. Just check on them when the temp drops to make sure they are going under it.
If you’re concerned about them finding things block off half the coop so food , water and bed are very close together . They are so cute , but not always the brightest creatures.... you need to make it easy for them
That is a good idea. I’ll keep an eye on them today and see how it goes. The air temp in the coop right now is 71 degrees (my indoor/outdoor wireless thermometer is getting great use!) - we are in SE PA and high temps this week will be in the 80’s, but Friday it will be much cooler - 60’s in the day and maybe 40’s at night.
They should be fine! If it's warm enough they may just sleep out in the coop now. I've got some two week olds, and they either sleep next to the heat plate or partially under it now. I've got a couple that are actually roosting already. Mine usually quit using the heat around 2.5-3 weeks. It's supposed to get in the 40's overnight here later this week, if you have any temperature swings like that you might just listen for them. Chicks are pretty loud if they're cold or unhappy, they'll let you know!