When do we evict the chickies from the cardboard box into the coop?

[caberwife]

We have 13 chicks who are now six days old: six Shaver Red Sex-links and seven Harco Black sex-links. They are, knock wood, doing very well. We have built them a very (we hope) secure chicken coop in the back of our barn. Right now, they are in a cardboard box in our guest bedroom, living the life of luxury. We want to know when we can move them from the house out to the coop.They'd still be contained within the coop with a circular enclosure -- we're not letting have the run of the coop until they are older.) Given that we have guests coming July 23rd, I'm thinking it'll have to be before then!

Not everyone wants to sleep next to a box of peeping chicks.

Thanks...

Natalie

 

[Judy]

It would help if we knew where you live, and what your high and low temps are, and whether you plan on using a heat lamp.

If it is yes on the heat lamp, and the area is draft free, they can go out now. Where I live, I would not even use a heat lamp.

 

[caberwife]

I live in eastern Ontario, Canada. Usually at this time of year it's plenty warm, but lately we've had a lot of rainy weather with daytime temps around 65 - 70F. Tomorrow night it's going down to about 48F. (That's not normal! Too low for July!) But we intend to continue using a heat lamp in the coop and watching the temperature closely in there. Within the coop, they'll be ringed by a cardboard wall. It's not an especially drafty coop either.

The temps are often at 85F - 90F in July but we've had a spate of dismal weather.

Thanks...

Natalie

 

[JudyR]

I'd like to know the answer to this as well. We have 13 chicks in a guinea hen cage in our kitchen. They're 7 days old and I'd like to move them to the shed and then to the coop with the other chickens (segregated). We'd use a heat lamp. We are outside of Calgary, AB

 

[gritsar]

If you can maintain the temp. needed per their age - that is, 90 to 95 the first week, decreasing by 5 degrees a week until you are down to 70 degrees - and your coop is draft free or can be made draft free with a draft guard, your chicks can be in the coop at any age.
My chicks started out inside a brooder, inside a draft guard in a shed. Once it became too hot for them in there we moved them, their brooder and their draft guard to the screened porch and they still did fine.
There is no law written anywhere that says your chicks have to be brooded in the house. Many people don't.
Just be sure they don't have too large of an area and could wander away from the heat source and be extra careful that your heat lamp/source is secure.

 

[cmom]

I agree with the other posts. I put my chicks and brooders in their coops. I also put up heat lamps in the beginning until they are feathered out.

 

[newchicksnducks]

Cmom and Gritsar are right...go ahead and put them out now. It will cut the dust down considerably in your guest room (although you will miss being able to check on them numerous times of the day without the trek to the coop!). With each of my 3 batches of young ones, they went out earlier. The first were 7+ weeks, the second about 6 weeks, and the last batch were out at 3+ weeks. I have a brooder sectioned off in the coop, use a heat lamp and have an area of the brooder that is draft free and an area that the youngest chicks can see the older ones and remain safe from them at the same time. I think it helps make the transition into the flock easier too. Good luck!

 

[caberwife]

The chicks are almost four weeks old now and are doing great. They transitioned well from the guest room, but instead of the coop, went to a large box in the garage! Hubby is still making the coop perfect and hopefully completely predator proof (it is built into our lower barn.)

We have an air exchanger in the garage, and windows and light, and of course we've kept the cars out while the chicks are in there. We keep enlarging the box, but my hubby swears to me the coop will be done this week.

I take the girls outside once a day for supervised play time and they just have a ball outside.

This forum is full of helpful folks and info!

Natalie

 

[Bear88]

wow those pictures are great !!!!

wish we had the room to make something really big