why can't I take them out of the brooder after a week or two?

[3KillerBs]

Yes. There is a fire risk using a heat lamp. Make sure it is secure and far away from anything that could possibly ignite. I went into my coop one morning and my lamp had been *almost* upset...that was the last time I used the lamp in the coop this year.

I hung the lamp from a sturdy chain.

 

[ryansacct22]

so now I'm scared of a fire hazard with the heat lamp. haha. It's not perfectly secure and stuff happens. So now I'm stuck with either bringing them inside and finding a clever way to safely attach the heat lamp...or leaving 1 week old chicks in a coop when it's going to hit mid 60's tonight. Ugh.

 

[Ruby Rogue]

The heat lamp is just as much of a risk in a brooder as it is in the coop. It'll be fine if you make sure the chicks can't knock it down. Mine was in a mixed coop, the big guys were the ones who moved it. Try and secure it as best as you can and don't rely *solely* on the lamp clamp.

 

[Cage a Poules]

I just started with chicks, and I used the Chick brooder heating plate. I was worried about the heat lamp, and this was great. They used it until I put them in the coop about 5 weeks old.

 

[ryansacct22]

I have the heater lamp ghetto rigged in a very, very unfashionable way for which I will not detail LOL.

Thank god I don't have any friends coming over for the next few weeks. But I think I've got a safe solution nailed down.

Had a lil panic for a minute there. Thanks for walking me through this!

 

[RainbowHen]

I have the heater lamp ghetto rigged in a very, very unfashionable way for which I will not detail LOL.

Thank god I don't have any friends coming over for the next few weeks. But I think I've got a safe solution nailed down.

Had a lil panic for a minute there. Thanks for walking me through this!

You're doing great. Big reason for a brooder is simply that a coop is usually too big for little babies and they may get lost and cold. They don't have a mama hen to show them to food or water and warmth. Other than that you are golden. I have successfully raised chicks in a 8x10 coop but I fenced off a small area for the first few days so they learned where all the good stuff was. Best of luck!

 

[ryansacct22]

So I've got the temperature up to about 83 degrees. They are running back and fourth, eating, drinking, etc. they seem much happier with the warmer temps (when it was around 70 for a few hours they were huddled up and not making a sound).

...but man they will not shut up lol. I'm reading that chirping throughout the night is usually a sign of distress (it's 2am here).

Any ideas? Thanks.

 

[ILoveBabySilkies]

Yes that can be a sign of distress but it depends on what they’re doing while they’re chirping that can help you determine if they are actaully stressed. Are they just standing in place looking around and chirping loudly or are they exploring and scratching and pecking? If they are standing in place looking confused then they are probably distressed if they are going around drinking, eating, and foraging they are just doing some happy peeps.

 

[ryansacct22]

Yes that can be a sign of distress but it depends on what they’re doing while they’re chirping that can help you determine if they are actaully stressed. Are they just standing in place looking around and chirping loudly or are they exploring and scratching and pecking?

Exploring like crazy, scratching, and pecking!

If they are standing in place looking confused then they are probably distressed if they are going around drinking, eating, and foraging they are just doing some happy peeps.

Nice! Thank you! (brooder is probably too small already. They are 1 week old-ish from Tractor Supply and I'm in a 35 gallon rubbermade with hardware cloth.)

 

[ILoveBabySilkies]

Exploring like crazy, scratching, and pecking!

Nice! Thank you!

No problem! Sounds like you have some happy chicks! Before I put mine into the coop I was brooding them in my bedroom! Don’t even get me started on the chirping!