WHAT/WHERE CAN I PUT THESE CHICKS?

[rancher hicks]

I got chicks 24 delivered earlier than I wanted and they are now jumpin out of their bins and pooping on my rug. I need to move them. I'm just starting so the coop isn't finished and would be unheated to start. I'm inn Syracuse NY area. Temps are going to 40's n 50's. I have an unheated room in back and could put two heaters and lights over a caged in area. would this be enough? They are 3 wks and active. Maybe I could just put the big ones out there. It's attched to the house just outside the kitchen. They're in 3, 90 QT bins now but they are active and getting crowded and bored I expect. Any ideas. I can get hay, chips, straw. [email protected]

 

[HorseFeathers]

Put some wire or something across the top of the brooder. I don't think you should put 3-wk-old chicks outside in even 40* weather.

 

[scarter]

We have a puppy corral that would confine them. It's plastic so it can be hosed down. I've seen them on Craigslist for a fraction of the price of new if you have an active one in your area. I think some times they are sold in the baby section too and called super yard XT or similar. The panels all come apart so they can be bigger or smaller. It would keep them a little longer confined until you can get that coop finished.

 

[ibpboo]

Little chickies are very active, and love to jump and stretch their wings. Try putting a wire over the top as suggested. Moving them into the back room with some heat lamps should be fine.
Have fun with your chicks.

 

[Chicken Fruit]

This is a really simple solution.. I have chicks the same age and just did the same thing. I am also in NY... its just too cold for 3 week old chicks yet.

Just go out and get a big box- preferably one for a washer or dishwasher- big! Tape it together (they dont have tops usually) and lay it on its side. Cut out the new "top" and use that piece to enclose the open end. Now its so big that they wont try to escape for want of space.

you can use wire to attach some mesh or screen or whatever to the top. I just trim the flight feathers on the right wing on all the birds.. it keeps them from trying much gymnastics, so I dont have to put wire on the top- which can be a pain sinc eyou have to change their water about 6 times a day because they mess it up.

Give me a second and I'll go get a picture of mine so you can see what I mean....

 

[Chicken Fruit]

There you go. Theres a few pictures of it thru that link.

The nice thing about using the box is that you can burn it all later and not have such a mess to deal with.


Oh, just wanted to add- incase you dont know, the big garbage bins with the slots on the fronts are for cardboard only, theyre behind all sorts of stores- the big stores bale their boxes, but the rental stores do not. Like the rent-to-own places, they go through a lot of appliances, and their box dumpsters are always full of wonderful finds. Plus, theyre free! dont be afraid to drive behind their and raid the dumpster.

 

[ChickieKeeta]

I recently got HUGE "boxes" From BJ's Wholesale Club.
They are the boxes the paper or foam plates are sitting on. They are only 4 inches deep but they are 4 feet wide. They are about 3 1/2 feet long. They are strong cardboard!

I will be picking up more today. I was cutting them & lining a pack'N'play. They have more than outgrown the PNP. I will now duct tape these boxes together. 2 for each long side. One for each end. I will atatch chicken wire or hardware cloth to the bottom. Set it on bricks & place newspaper or cardboard on the floor of my spare room. I will hang the heating lamps. They are in my heated bathroom & I had discontinued the heat lamps. Hatch date. Valentines Day.

Seems like I should be using Chick tape instead of Duck tape.

 

[rancher hicks]

I really appreciate the advice. I have a kids pool I trash picked 4' across. I got the idea from web site pics. I just don't have a space large enough inside to put it. I've set it up with the heaters (the oil filled kind, 2) the other 2 sides face the wall. I'd planned to make a circle inside the pool with fencing and hang 2 lites from the top.
Ya know hatcheries like to send 25 chicks and they added to my order w/ 9 chicks. I didn't care cause they were breeds I wanted but backordered. But 24 to start is a bit much. Thanks to the people on this site I expect to survive. You should be proud of yourselves and I do appreciate you. I think I enjoy the chickens because I'm not going through this alone. I plan to donate eggs to the pantries in these hard economic times.
I've got BO's,Aus's,Del's, Dominiques, Maran's, GLW's, SLW's, 3each, and 4 Rd Fr's. All pullets except the Rd Fr's. W/ Sussex, Rd. Chant, Buckeye, and Java's coming in May. 2 pul's and 1 male. ea.
Thanks again Rancher