When to move to the coop.

[GallucciAcres]

We have 4 NH Reds and 4 RI Reds in our brooder inside. We think they may be 3-4 weeks old, not sure. They are flying out of the 18" tall brooder and they like to roost on the feeder. Nights are in the low 40s now, would it be OK to put them in the outside coop if we move the lamp out too?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Yes, you can finish brooding in the coop. If it's warm enough I usually just run it at night.

 

[GallucciAcres]

My wife will be happy to hear that.

 

[robdog]

or clip their wings keep them in the brooder til they are 6-7 weeks and then you can move them into a coop with easiness.

 

[azygous]

You can certainly brood chicks anywhere. It's strictly accepted convention that we go get the requisite "box", fashion it into a brooder, and install baby chicks with a heat lamp focused on them.

Last year, after doing some critical thinking, I saw so many reasons why brooding this way is, well, stupid. Chicks really do not benefit from it in any truly significant way, and in so many more ways, brooding indoors in a "box" is detrimental to their development and well being.

After years if observing chicks during and after being brooded indoors in the conventional manner, I concluded that brooding them out in their coop or run is far better, and I listed all the reasons why. The article is linked below this post, the second one of four articles I've written for BYC.

So, by all means move your chicks out to the coop. Everyone will be much happier, including you.

 

[junebuggena]

We have 4 NH Reds and 4 RI Reds in our brooder inside. We think they may be 3-4 weeks old, not sure. They are flying out of the 18" tall brooder and they like to roost on the feeder. Nights are in the low 40s now, would it be OK to put them in the outside coop if we move the lamp out too?

Just be very careful about using a heat lamp inside the coop. It's a serious fire hazard, especially if the coop is small.

 

[GallucciAcres]

I'm setting up a coop about 100-120sf and about 5ft tall.

 

[Ridgerunner]

A coop maybe 10’ x 12’ and only five feet tall? You are going to be banging your head a lot. Is it realistic to make it taller so you can stand up in there?

I built a permanent brooder in the coop, the chicks go in there straight from the incubator or post office regardless of outside temperatures. I’ve put chicks in there several times when it was below freezing outside of the brooder. As long as one point is warm enough they are really good about self-regulating and will manage to keep themselves warm, even when there is frost in the far corner of that brooder. At 3 to 4 weeks yours are certainly going to be OK if you can just keep one area warm enough.

Any time you use electricity you have a fire hazard. It doesn’t matter what the heating device is. All it takes is a broken wire or a short so be careful when setting it up. I use heat lamps held in place by wire. Do not trust that clamp that comes with the heat lamp at all, I throw my clamp away so I’m not tempted to even think about using it, plus it keeps it out of the way.

One big advantage top me in brooding them outside in a brooder big enough so they have warm and cool spots is that they quickly get acclimated to the cold. Within two to three weeks you should not need any supplemental heat out there.

With the dust, noise, and potential smell I fully understand wanting to get them out of the house. I often joke that one reason I brood outside from Day 1 is that I want to stay married to my wife. In truth, that’s not that much of a joke. I like my wife and want to keep her.

 

[GallucciAcres]

I measured it at 70" at the peak. It's a "refurbished" coop. Plan on hanging the lamp from a metal chain.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I like refurbished. Sometimes you just have to live with it. Many things are a compromise.