When to let chicks out in the yard, supervised, but not in a pen

[DomMom]

Thank you everyone, our coop should arrive in a couple days and after that when temps are good at night, I'll be brave and stick them out there and check on them. I've read this forum for 2 years in anticapation of getting out first chicks and thought I'd be OK. Just like babies, there are always more questions and I look forward to the day when I can answer some of them.

We cleaned house yesterday and today everything is dusty again. I love the little peeps, but getting them there own space will be nice.

 

[Rural Chic]

I bought 7 little chicks from a breeder about 3 weeks ago, they were about 4-6 weeks old I think. I have just received today 1 day old chicks, along with 2 goslings. The older ones have been moved to the coop 2 weeks ago with a heat lamp suspended from the ceiling. The new chicks and goslings are in the same coop but inside a large tote with the heat lamp suspended over the tote and they seem to be doing well. I will pick up a second heat lamp and tote today so I can separate the goslings from the chicks as the goslings can't have the chick starter feed. Don't worry that is not what I have in there right now. I meant to pick that stuff up yesterday when we went shopping but I had mom go with me and she is very distracting at time. I thought I would have time after work today to get those things as I wan't expecting the new babies until tomorrow, they showed up early. The coop is not insulated but it is quite cozy with the single heat lamp for our two rabbits and 6 older chicks. I don't want to house the new babies in the house since they will drive my 6 cats absolutely nuts along with my mother who lives with us.
I think with a heat lamp positioned over each box they should all be OK.
The breeder I ordered my new babies from sent along quite a few little male chicks to help keep the girls warm too. I now have lots of little one peeping away. Too bad they wont grow up to be hens. I will need to find new homes and if not well... I'm sure they will make a good dinner as I can't have roosters in my neighborhood.
I'm sure they will be ok, but i am sure to check on the throughout the evening and again in the morning since we are hitting temps around 40 at night.

 

[KnobbyOaks]

I'm a cruel mama but I put my 8 chicks out in the coop when they were 2 weeks. Granted I don't live in a really cold climate. The first week was the worst when the temp dropped down to 50. I put a heat lamp in their roosting area and they were fine. They have had the heat lamp on since then and they are a little over 4 weeks now. But last night was their first night without the lamp. Tonight it will get down to 53. The one thing I noticed is that with the heat lamp, they never really get to sleep good. They are chasing bugs, running up and down the ramp, scratching at the floor, jumping in the middle of someone and every time someone else moves, they all move. Last night??? Not a peep. It was glorious. Know how I know that? I have had a baby monitor out there and I know I slept much better last night. The only thing was that it was soooo dark last night (no moon) that without the light I couldn't see them. So tonight they have some new little LED lights on a string around the outside of the coop.

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

As soon as my chicken saddles arrive in the mail, I will be letting my cockerel out of the grow-out tractor back into the coop. Then my 5 week old chicks will be moving from brooder into the grow-out. Since I have adult hens I will be waiting for another month or so to let them out to free range( they need to be bigger to defend themselves).

 

[Rural Chic]

My new babies who arrived yesterday morning spent a good night in the coop inside their separate Totes (goslings in one, chicks in the other). They have their own heat lamps and the outside temps were in the low 40's. They did very well. My older chicks liked the extra warmth too as they were all snoozing away when I went to check on them and change their water this morning.
One of my goslings has already attached itself to me... I walk away it cries, i come back it settles down. I sat in coop last night for 45 min or so and this one little baby goose (not sure if it is male or female) kept trying to climb the side of the tote. (Rubbermaid 50 gal tote) I would put my hand down inside the tote and she/he would be OK again.
They are so cute.

 

[kdwag]

My hens are now just 7 weeks old, and i found the same thing with the heat lamp, they didn't sleep and it seemed they were avoiding the light so I have had the lamp off now for the past 5 nights, the coldest temp was 47 but they seemed to do just fine. They really are restless when i close them in at night and there is a lot of chaos, etc. for a good 15 minutes - not sure what that's about. Luckily, this week the lows are to be in the 50's so that will get them through until almost 8 weeks but they do seem to tolerate the cooler temps pretty well.

 

[Rural Chic]

This is what we (my son and I) did this weekend... We had a blast!



Pic 1 - Original color of shed / new chicken coop
Pic 2 - Side view with new window and new color
Pic 3 - Front view of completed painting of chicken coop
Pic 4 - Front view with door open for inside view
The inside we painted a light sky blue.
In the weeks to come we will work on the chicken run, rabbit play yard and goose enclosure.

 

[Melabella]

Looks much brighter, and well done!

Can you son come to NY and bring his paint brushes?

I want to build a rabbit run for my rabbits.

Good Luck!
MB

 

[Rural Chic]

Looks much brighter, and well done!

Can you son come to NY and bring his paint brushes?

I want to build a rabbit run for my rabbits.

Good Luck!
MB

Thanks, it was allot of fun too getting it all ready, and sorry I need him to help me finish mine first then sure he can come up and give you a hand, Although maybe I should ask him if he would be willing instead of me volunteer him out again...

Oh and we moved everyone back into their coop last evening (it was really windy and cold too)... Here are some photos.


view from door................................Profetess, Goldie and Lucky Lucy checking things out.

Rabbits - Spots (female) on left, Blackie (male) on right... Goslings in new cage.
They all had fun checking out the changes we made too. They seem to like it all and settled down easy for the night after our fun through the dark and cold last night getting them from the garage to the coop. They protested allot too.

 

[Melabella]

Love your low hung little roosting bar. That is a great idea to use those plant brackets like that.

What lucky chicks we all have... we worry, we love, we take such good care of them!

MB