When to move to coop????

[chicksurreal]

Our broody took her chicks outside in temperatures that I thought would kill them (35-40 degrees) when they were only a few days old, she knew when they needed to warm up and would squat down on the ground for them to crawl under her wings. They are 4 weeks old now and very hardy little chicks

She is exhibiting the desire to rejoin the main flock and is back to laying eggs, so I'll probably let her go back to the main coop when the chicks are 6 weeks old. She's still taking care of them to some extent and they sleep under her at night. The chicks will stay in the grow out pen until they are 12-14 weeks old at least. Their pen is only separated by a fence from the other chickens, so they know each other already, but I want them to be bigger before they have to fend for themselves.

 

[Shabana]

I have 12 sablepoot chicks at 5 weeks which live in the garden. They are using the electric hen at odd times during the day and they are all under it at night.
We are getting 6-7°c at night currently in the uk.
Until it warms up a bit more i will leave their supplemental heat.
They are pretty much fully feathered but in their case i will leave another couple of weeks before putting them in with the fully grown sablepoots.
I have one chick with a leg deformity so i want her particularly to be able to handle herself.
Once i move them i will still leave them in their separate run inside the big enclosure for a week or more to get to know their new flock mates and environment.

It is tricky to know when the right time is but dont rush it, especially if they are going in with older birds.
Good luck to everyone !

 

[shortgrass]

I moved my oldest group of pullets to their coop at 5 weeks, and the newest group got a special cove made under the older girls' roost with a ceiling and hardware cloth surrounding it until the older girls can get used to the younger ones. Temps here have been very erratic (Colorado) so I was concerned about them getting cold, as we get days of 70 and nights down to 30 still, so I have a supplemental light for the chicks, who are a month old, but the older group is 7 weeks and fully feathered, very happy to pop out in the morning at 6 when it can still be 40. They are pretty tough little gals I will be removing the hardware cloth in another 2 weeks so they can all mingle together when I feel that my silkies are big enough to fend for themselves

 

[outside]

Mine have been in their coop for a little over a week. They are a month and two weeks old and seem to be doing fine out there. The temps here have been upper 80's all week, so it's really hot.

 

[TJordan]

So glad I found this forum... I've got 6 chicks outside with momma and they are fine. They will be 5 weeks Friday. Now enter my problem... I've got 4 more inside. Roughly a week -10 days younger and my momma hen HATES them... Attacked the first time I put them out. Now enter the problem... These 4 and 2 of the outside chicks will be moving to my mom-n-laws in 2 weeks to start her own flock... She steels my eggs so we figured she can raise her own.., should I pull the 2 outside into the brooder with these other 4 early or move these 4 outside in a week and just put then in their own little look through pin? Get them use to each other that way and get the younger ones acclimated to the outside... Keep in mind that I live in the Deep South AL USA. Temps run from 55-60 at night to well into the 80s or low 90s ALREADY!!!!

 

[junebuggena]

I would pull the chicks sooner, rather than later. Give the little ones a chance to bond and establish themselves as a flock for a few weeks before moving them to a new place. I think that seems like the least stressful course of action for the chicks.

 

[TJordan]

I would pull the chicks sooner, rather than later. Give the little ones a chance to bond and establish themselves as a flock for a few weeks before moving them to a new place. I think that seems like the least stressful course of action for the chicks.

Thanks.

 

[mymilliefleur]

I keep my ducklings and chicks in an outdoor brooder. This time of year when I'm having temps in the 80's and 90's during the day, and 50's and 60's at night, I start shutting the heat lamp off on day 1, and I turn it on at night. Around 2-3 weeks I move all the chicks into a chicken tractor. At around 2-3 months I separate the cockerels from the pullets, and each get their own chicken tractor. As soon as they are old enough to stay in electric net fencing, I add the pullets to my layer flock, and the cockerels are put in to a separate pen where I raise them out into the are processing age. Hope this helps!

 

[TJordan]

I keep my ducklings and chicks in an outdoor brooder. This time of year when I'm having temps in the 80's and 90's during the day, and 50's and 60's at night, I start shutting the heat lamp off on day 1, and I turn it on at night. Around 2-3 weeks I move all the chicks into a chicken tractor. At around 2-3 months I separate the cockerels from the pullets, and each get their own chicken tractor. As soon as they are old enough to stay in electric net fencing, I add the pullets to my layer flock, and the cockerels are put in to a separate pen where I raise them out into the are processing age. Hope this helps!

Very much so... I'm planning on something very simular. I will refresh my rooster this year... My current one might be very productive but he is EVIL!!!!!
As soon as his son (month old right now) grows into his own and proves his as productive as daddy I'll be havering rooster soup for dinner...

If he didn't attack both my kids (ages 5&7) he might of lived to tell the tale.

 

[junebuggena]

Roosters tend to pass on their aggressive temperaments on to their offspring. If your rooster goes after people, there is a pretty good chance his sons will too.