What do I do with my chicks who keep flying out of the brooder?

[ayamEC]

My chicks are 3 weeks old and keep flying out of the brooder and making a mess. What type of place should I put them in now?

 

[PirateGirl]

Post a pic of your brooder. A piece of screen or fencing across the top should keep them in. Once we have a pic, we might have some more constructive ideas.

 

[paneubert]

Post a pic of your brooder. A piece of screen or fencing across the top should keep them in. Once we have a pic, we might have some more constructive ideas.

Or a towel, chicken wire, bedsheet, etc.. Anything that will just stop them from getting out. I used to do half towel, half hardware cloth so that there was plenty of ventilation and I could see in easily. Also because I did not want the towel to catch on fire. Haha.

 

[junebuggena]

Start weaning them off heat and getting them used to outside temps, and keep the brooder covered with some sort of screen till you can get them moved out to the coop permanently.

 

[UncleDougsChickens]

I used a used dog crate as a brooder, so either build higher walls or put something over the top to keep them in

 

[Blooie]

Start weaning them off heat and getting them used to outside temps, and keep the brooder covered with some sort of screen till you can get them moved out to the coop permanently.

YES!! They aren't doing it to annoy you....they are doing it because the unrelenting warmth, same four walls and confinement are getting to them. They know there's a world out there - if they were with Mama Hen they'd have been all over the place exploring and learning about the big world at just a couple of days old, and they'd be learning how to be chickens. They'd be scratching in the dirt, taking dust baths, finding little tidbits to eat, and just ducking under her for a quick warm-up......if they were even close to where she'd wandered off! If they didn't spot her right away, they'd snuggle down together for a bit, then be up and back at it, drinking out of mud puddles and having a blast. They don't have any of those opportunities in a box.

Welcome to BYC!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Brooders have to be covered because chicks are like popcorn bouncing all over the place. I used hardware cloth and taped a "frame" of cardboard around it to cover up any sharp edges, then used bricks to hold it down. Photos would help a lot in figuring out how to best cover your brooder, if you're having issues figuring out what would work best.

 

[lazy gardener]

Agreed with @Blooie . Chicks were not created to live in a box. They should have at least 2 s.f. per chick by the time they are 2 - 3 weeks old. They should be weaned off heat (if they are in your house) by the time they are 3 weeks old. By 4 - 5 weeks of age, they should have been acclimated to outside temperatures. At that age, my chicks have weaned themselves off their MHP brooder (in their outdoor coop) and are living independently of supplemental heat with a space that is 8' x 16' for them to explore. Ambient temps when they are weaned vary from low 30's (with the occasional dip to high 20's) to highs varying from 50 - 75*.

 

[llombardo]

Mine are in the brooder in a small bathroom. They roost on top of the brooder box. They sit on the toilet too. I do find poop outside the brooder and I clean up daily. Weather here is not permitting me to bring them outside. They have only gone out once. They are very curious and I get it. I did put a screen over the top and they were able to move it. I took that away and now I just let them be. They can't get into anything or hurt themselves so I just clean up after them if needed.

 

[junebuggena]

Mine are in the brooder in a small bathroom. They roost on top of the brooder box. They sit on the toilet too. I do find poop outside the brooder and I clean up daily. Weather here is not permitting me to bring them outside. They have only gone out once. They are very curious and I get it. I did put a screen over the top and they were able to move it. I took that away and now I just let them be. They can't get into anything or hurt themselves so I just clean up after them if needed.

Once they are feathered in, chicks can handle just about any weather an adult can. You just have to take the time to get them adjusted to it. I've had 4 week olds, outside without heat when the nights hit 17*. They were completely fine and happy.