What age should I get?

[NatJ]

New to chicks and reading and researching all I can get my hands on before I actually bringhome some chicks. Purchased the coop and run yesterday but it will be a few weeks before we level the ground, assemble the equipment, and predator proof the area. My dilemma is whether I should get very young chicks (to be kept in the house for a few weeks until fully-feathered), already full-feathered chicks but still less than 6 months old, or adult hens.

My original plan was the fully-feathered chicks but I'm also very excited at the prospect of having very young chicks in the house for a few weeks while we set up the perfect outdoor habitat. I have two spare bedrooms I could keep them in and I have several dog playpens and gates and barriers from all my dog rescue.

Personally, I would get the coop & run set up first, then get young chicks and brood them in the coop.

Chicks in the house will get dust everywhere, and no amount of dog playpens, gates, and barriers will stop it. A closed door will help with the dust, but that separates the chicks from you & the dogs almost as much as putting the chicks outside (and the room still gets dusty.)

 

[SueAndHerZoo]

Personally, I would get the coop & run set up first, then get young chicks and brood them in the coop.

Chicks in the house will get dust everywhere, and no amount of dog playpens, gates, and barriers will stop it. A closed door will help with the dust, but that separates the chicks from you & the dogs almost as much as putting the chicks outside (and the room still gets dusty.)

Ok, so you suggest fully feathered and immediately outside. Curious about the dust issue: is it mainly from the bedding or do the chicks produce dust? I know when I used to have parrots, their bodies/feathers produced dust.... wondering if it's the same type of thing.
Sue

 

[NatJ]

Ok, so you suggest fully feathered and immediately outside.

No, I suggest just-hatched little fluffballs, and immediately outside into a coop with a heat source (brooder plate or heat lamp or something of the sort.) Use an extension cord, and be very careful about fire risk, but you would have to be careful of possible fires in your house as well.

Curious about the dust issue: is it mainly from the bedding or do the chicks produce dust? I know when I used to have parrots, their bodies/feathers produced dust.... wondering if it's the same type of thing.
Sue

Yes, all of the above. Their bodies/feathers produce dust and so does their bedding.

 

[RadEggs]

Pullets usualy means 6-11 months in my expirience. Thats what I meant.

 

[SueAndHerZoo]

No, I suggest just-hatched little fluffballs, and immediately outside into a coop with a heat source (brooder plate or heat lamp or something of the sort.) Use an extension cord, and be very careful about fire risk, but you would have to be careful of possible fires in your house as well.


Yes, all of the above. Their bodies/feathers produce dust and so does their bedding.

I would LOVE to get the little fluffballs, nothing like raising a pet from a very young age to get them acclimated and getting to know them and watch them develop. But I would be too afraid to put the very young outside.... regardless of how predator proof I make the area, the little girls could still squeeze between the little gaps between the run panels and a determined raccoon or other predator could easily pull one through if they get close to the edge.

Regarding a heatlamp, I have tons of them around since I have a lot of animals and rehab a lot of abandoned animals, but I'm thinking I wouldn't even need to since it's now gotten very warm here in CT. Both of my spare bedrooms are on the third level of the house and WOW it gets warm up there when the door is closed. I could have a heat lamp handy just in case we get another cool night, but the upstairs stays warm and we don't have central air, only room AC's.
I wouldn't mind the dust (too much) in the spare room that I use for miscellaneous storage and my pet hamster. What's a little more shavings on the floor, right?
Sue

 

[NatJ]

Regarding a heatlamp, I have tons of them around since I have a lot of animals and rehab a lot of abandoned animals, but I'm thinking I wouldn't even need to since it's now gotten very warm here in CT. Both of my spare bedrooms are on the third level of the house and WOW it gets warm up there when the door is closed. I could have a heat lamp handy just in case we get another cool night, but the upstairs stays warm and we don't have central air, only room AC's.

Just-hatched chicks would naturally snuggle under their mother's feathers to stay warm, all night long and at intervals during the day. A hen's body temperature is about 105 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you use a heat lamp, the usual method is to provide one heated area, somewhere between 90 and 100 degrees depending on what source you read, plus a larger area that is much cooler. Putting the heat lamp in one corner of a large pen, or in the center of an even larger pen, usually works quite well. The chicks regulate their own temperature by moving to the warmer or cooler areas.

If your room stays warmer than about 85 degrees, chicks may be okay without supplemental heat (they can snuggle together to get a little warmer.) But anything lower than that, I would provide them with some kind of heat source.

It is important that the chicks can get away from the heat. Too much heat, or not enough heat, can be very bad for young chicks, but healthy chicks are very good at choosing a comfortable temperature if you provide a range of choices.

When people brood chicks in cardboard boxes or plastic tubs inside a house, a heat lamp can make the chicks too hot. One solution is to use a bulb with less wattage to provide some heat but not as much. Another solution is to get a brooder plate meant for chicks.

Many people are strongly in favor of brooder plates.

The main advantages of a brooder plate: uses less electricity than a heat lamp, less likely to get the chicks too hot, less likely to cause a fire, lets chicks get used to a day/night cycle because it does not provide light.

The main disadvantages of a brooder plate: costs more to buy than a heat lamp, chicks do not automatically go toward it (they do go toward the light of a heat lamp), can only provide heat for a small number of chicks (not a problem if you have a small number of chicks, but think twice before trying to use brooder plates with 100+ chicks), brooder plate cannot provide enough heat in cold conditions (not a problem if you are using it inside a house, but can be very important if you are brooding chicks in the coop or a barn in cool weather.)

Personally, I have used heat lamps with good results, but I agree you do have to be careful about the risk of fires and the risk of overheating chicks. If you aleady have experience using heat lamps for other animals, you are probably aware of these dangers.

I wouldn't mind the dust (too much) in the spare room that I use for miscellaneous storage and my pet hamster. What's a little more shavings on the floor, right?

Yes, that might work well enough.

I had a mental image of a carpeted floor, cloth curtains that collect the dust, a bed with sheets and blankets and pillows, maybe a fuzzy couch or a closet full of clothes: lots of things that would be hard to clean. If you have a room that already gets used for storage and for things that are a certain amount dusty, the dust from the chicks will not cause as many problems.

I would LOVE to get the little fluffballs, nothing like raising a pet from a very young age to get them acclimated and getting to know them and watch them develop. But I would be too afraid to put the very young outside.... regardless of how predator proof I make the area, the little girls could still squeeze between the little gaps between the run panels and a determined raccoon or other predator could easily pull one through if they get close to the edge.

That is a good point to consider. If a raccoon can reach into the pen, you might consider covering it with hardware cloth even for adult chickens.

 

[SueAndHerZoo]

Just-hatched chicks would naturally snuggle under their mother's feathers to stay warm, all night long and at intervals during the day. A hen's body temperature is about 105 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you use a heat lamp, the usual method is to provide one heated area, somewhere between 90 and 100 degrees depending on what source you read, plus a larger area that is much cooler. Putting the heat lamp in one corner of a large pen, or in the center of an even larger pen, usually works quite well. The chicks regulate their own temperature by moving to the warmer or cooler areas.

If your room stays warmer than about 85 degrees, chicks may be okay without supplemental heat (they can snuggle together to get a little warmer.) But anything lower than that, I would provide them with some kind of heat source.

It is important that the chicks can get away from the heat. Too much heat, or not enough heat, can be very bad for young chicks, but healthy chicks are very good at choosing a comfortable temperature if you provide a range of choices.

When people brood chicks in cardboard boxes or plastic tubs inside a house, a heat lamp can make the chicks too hot. One solution is to use a bulb with less wattage to provide some heat but not as much. Another solution is to get a brooder plate meant for chicks.

Many people are strongly in favor of brooder plates.

The main advantages of a brooder plate: uses less electricity than a heat lamp, less likely to get the chicks too hot, less likely to cause a fire, lets chicks get used to a day/night cycle because it does not provide light.

The main disadvantages of a brooder plate: costs more to buy than a heat lamp, chicks do not automatically go toward it (they do go toward the light of a heat lamp), can only provide heat for a small number of chicks (not a problem if you have a small number of chicks, but think twice before trying to use brooder plates with 100+ chicks), brooder plate cannot provide enough heat in cold conditions (not a problem if you are using it inside a house, but can be very important if you are brooding chicks in the coop or a barn in cool weather.)

Personally, I have used heat lamps with good results, but I agree you do have to be careful about the risk of fires and the risk of overheating chicks. If you aleady have experience using heat lamps for other animals, you are probably aware of these dangers.


Yes, that might work well enough.

I had a mental image of a carpeted floor, cloth curtains that collect the dust, a bed with sheets and blankets and pillows, maybe a fuzzy couch or a closet full of clothes: lots of things that would be hard to clean. If you have a room that already gets used for storage and for things that are a certain amount dusty, the dust from the chicks will not cause as many problems.


That is a good point to consider. If a raccoon can reach into the pen, you might consider covering it with hardware cloth even for adult chickens.

Thank you, Nat, for the thorough responses to this chick newbie (or newbie chick?)

I'd like to use this in the storage bedroom for 8 fluffballs: entirely enclosed (including a top) well ventilated, easy to clean, and plenty spacious. I have used heat lamps a LOT (and have two running 12 hours a day for my chameleons) but I really don't like them and would prefer not to have fried chicken, especially since it would be difficult to mount it safely to this. I have reptile mats that I place under aquariums when I'm rehabbing baby squirrels and rabbits, could I put one under this pen? Lastly, instead of shavings, could I use doggie pee pee pads?
Thanks for all the knowledge!
Sue

 

[rosemarythyme]

Personally, I would get the coop & run set up first, then get young chicks and brood them in the coop.

Chicks in the house will get dust everywhere, and no amount of dog playpens, gates, and barriers will stop it. A closed door will help with the dust, but that separates the chicks from you & the dogs almost as much as putting the chicks outside (and the room still gets dusty.)

I would suggest the same as well. I certainly would not trust some of my dogs with my chicks and the dander even a few chicks can produce is no joke.

If the coop is fully set up in advance (run can be added later, but coop at least should be ready to go) and electricity can be run to the location then it's probably about as safe as can be for the chicks to be brooded in there, and keeps the mess entirely outside. My last 3 batches of chicks have all been raised outdoors from 2-3 days out using a "mama heating pad" - it allows them to acclimate to outdoor temperatures naturally, keeps them on a true day/night cycle, and requires next to no clean up.

 

[NatJ]

I'd like to use this in the storage bedroom for 8 fluffballs: entirely enclosed (including a top) well ventilated, easy to clean, and plenty spacious.

The size being 45" in length and width? That's probably big enough for brooding 8 chicks to about age 5 weeks or so (which is around the time they are fully feathered.)

Common space guidelines for chickens:
1 square foot of space per chick up to about age 4 weeks (can be a little less in the first week or so)
2 square feet of space per chick from age 4 weeks to 8 weeks
4 square feet of space per chicken from age 8 weeks on through the rest of their lives.

That 4 square feet of space would usually be in the coop (where they sleep and lay eggs, and hang out in bad weather.)
Usual advice is to also have at least 10 square feet of space per chicken in an outdoor run, where they can spend time in good weather.

Plus 1 linear foot of roosting space per adult chicken, and 1 nestbox for about 4 hens (so 8 hens would have 2 or maybe 3 nestboxes. They definitely will not need 8 nestboxes unless they all go broody and try to hatch eggs at the same time.)

It looks like that pen has between 11 and 12 square feet of space (I found an online calculator and plugged in the numbers.) That is more than enough for 8 chicks up to 4 weeks old, so you may be able to go a week or so longer. They do not really need their space doubled on a particular day, despite the way space recommendations are usually phrased.

I have used heat lamps a LOT (and have two running 12 hours a day for my chameleons) but I really don't like them and would prefer not to have fried chicken, especially since it would be difficult to mount it safely to this. I have reptile mats that I place under aquariums when I'm rehabbing baby squirrels and rabbits, could I put one under this pen?

Right at first, chicks naturally try to go under things to stay warm. I am not sure how they would act with a heat source underneath them at that point. Once they are a bit older, that would probably work (based on the stories I see of chicks that like to hang out on top of a brooder plate, which would also be warm under their feet.)

You might consider something like the idea in this thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...d-in-the-brooder-picture-heavy-update.956958/

It is a way to let chicks go underneath a heating pad, similar to how they would go underneath a broody hen or a purchased brooder plate. I have no personal experience with it, but apparently quite a few people find that it works well for raising chicks. Maybe it would work with one of your reptile mats?

(And I see that someone else recommended a mama heating pad while I was typing this!)

Lastly, instead of shavings, could I use doggie pee pee pads?

Yes, plenty of people do that.

Chicks do like to scratch around in their bedding (like shavings), but they can be okay without that until they move outside.

 

[SueAndHerZoo]

The size being 45" in length and width? That's probably big enough for brooding 8 chicks to about age 5 weeks or so (which is around the time they are fully feathered.)

Common space guidelines for chickens:
1 square foot of space per chick up to about age 4 weeks (can be a little less in the first week or so)
2 square feet of space per chick from age 4 weeks to 8 weeks
4 square feet of space per chicken from age 8 weeks on through the rest of their lives.

That 4 square feet of space would usually be in the coop (where they sleep and lay eggs, and hang out in bad weather.)
Usual advice is to also have at least 10 square feet of space per chicken in an outdoor run, where they can spend time in good weather.

Plus 1 linear foot of roosting space per adult chicken, and 1 nestbox for about 4 hens (so 8 hens would have 2 or maybe 3 nestboxes. They definitely will not need 8 nestboxes unless they all go broody and try to hatch eggs at the same time.)

It looks like that pen has between 11 and 12 square feet of space (I found an online calculator and plugged in the numbers.) That is more than enough for 8 chicks up to 4 weeks old, so you may be able to go a week or so longer. They do not really need their space doubled on a particular day, despite the way space recommendations are usually phrased.


Right at first, chicks naturally try to go under things to stay warm. I am not sure how they would act with a heat source underneath them at that point. Once they are a bit older, that would probably work (based on the stories I see of chicks that like to hang out on top of a brooder plate, which would also be warm under their feet.)

You might consider something like the idea in this thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...d-in-the-brooder-picture-heavy-update.956958/

It is a way to let chicks go underneath a heating pad, similar to how they would go underneath a broody hen or a purchased brooder plate. I have no personal experience with it, but apparently quite a few people find that it works well for raising chicks. Maybe it would work with one of your reptile mats?

(And I see that someone else recommended a mama heating pad while I was typing this!)


Yes, plenty of people do that.

Chicks do like to scratch around in their bedding (like shavings), but they can be okay without that until they move outside.

Thank you (and everyone!) for providing so much good information, ideas, tips, and links! I may just go ahead and purchase a broodeer plate and keep it simple.

This is the coop and run we got, it says it's good for up to 18 chickens but I think that's a bit crowded so I decided I should probably get 8 so they have enough room as adults. https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/producers-pride-defender-chicken-coop-2020-1168239n

Sue