Will this brooder last a bit longer?

[hokankai]

I have 8 chicks in my brooder now, and just wanted to know if they will be okay in the brooder for a few more weeks. It WAS 4ftx2.5ftx2ft high, but almost two weeks ago I upgraded them to a 6.5ftx2.5ft brooder. They have three different roosts, a gallon nipple waterer, and a rapidly depleted chick feeder that is rigged to be roost-proof and knock-over proof. We're working on the coop and it won't be complete for a couple of weeks and I'm worried about them not having enough space. I usually give them 1-2 hours of fenced yard roaming time, but it's not covered and we have hawks in the area so I have to watch them constantly. Will they be alright for a few more weeks? I feel bad keeping them in there...but I can't find another box to add onto my brooder

. Here are some pics

They've been off the heat lamp for almost a week now.

With the old waterer and their dust bath in there

Thanks!

 

[featherz]

How old are they? I kept eight chicks in a 6 foot by 2 foot brooder until about 5 weeks without any trouble - they started to get a bit cramped at that time. In your pic they look fine to me!

 

[justbugged]

They look like they are just about ready to go outside. With the good weather here in the PNW it would be a good week to get them into the coop.

 

[wsdareme]

Just keep adding cardboard boxes!

You'll be fine until you run out of window screens...

 

[hokankai]

How old are they? I kept eight chicks in a 6 foot by 2 foot brooder until about 5 weeks without any trouble - they started to get a bit cramped at that time. In your pic they look fine to me! smile

They are 5 1/2 weeks old now. When will I know it's too cramped for them? They seem to be fine...but just get bored easily and would rather run around outside. I let them run outside but I can't be with them ALL the time and their coop isn't done yet

Just keep adding cardboard boxes!

You'll be fine until you run out of window screens...lau gig

For sure! Haha I think I need to find another box to add soon...and I do have the original lid made out of hardware cloth so I'm all set! Now to just find another box

 

[featherz]

Quote:
Mine started to peck each other's combs and it just looked too small to me. My chicks were a bit big for their age, judging by others I had seen. I think if you add more boxes you might be able to squeak it but you might want to put a rush job on the coop anyways.

(My first batch I put out at 5 weeks, the second batch has been out since 2! (it's very warm here).. )

 

[hokankai]

I think if you add more boxes you might be able to squeak it but you might want to put a rush job on the coop anyways.

Tell my father that, ugh. He's the brains behind the machinery and can only go out to work on it after 6 on the weekdays...giving us 2.5 hours of daylight to work.

If it were up to me we would have been working on the run already!

 

[PetChickenBoo]

Mine were in a similar setup and around 4 weeks old were going stir crazy and I only had four. I think they were bored and they started to drive me nuts because they started to get really messy and destructive. Within a few days they had started to destroy the box--by repeatedly spilling water(the waterer was still upright but no water in it, just in the bottom of the box). I had to put them in a dog crate for a few days while we finished their coop. They were going outside a bit during the day and it got to the point where when we brought them back inside for the night they put up quite a fit--lots of loud cheeping for about an hour. They've been outside since Wednesday and they love it so that was at just over 5 weeks old. Good luck!

 

[gryeyes]

*ahem* Not sure you wanna follow my example, but I never put a lid on any brooder. Of course, I live alone... the house I rent only has one bathroom. That's also the nursery, where I keep the brooder. It's a 54 gallon Rubbermaid storage tote.

When the chicks began to learn how to jump to the edge of the brooder bin, I cheered 'em on. When they jumped out and wandered around in the bathroom, I told 'em what clever chicks they were. The bathroom is tiled; easy to clean up. As they got older, occasionally I'd find evidence of chick on the sink counter, or even find a chick up there studying its reflection in the faucet. Or two standing in the middle of the bath mat when I opened the door. They'd look at me like, "Whut? We wuz bored!" They'd jump back to the edge of the brooder and perch there, telling me little chicky tales of their day allll alone together whilst I was at work for so long.

Funnily, they always went back into the brooder at night, to sleep. Without arguing. Just hop up, hop down. I'd turn out the (white) light and say good-night, and close the door.

There were never more than 8 chicks, and they didn't get into all that activity until they were 5 weeks old or so...

 

[hokankai]

Alright, so I found another box and have upgraded their brooder for the last time until they move into the coop! This is what it looks like now, and will have to last them 2 weeks. The thing takes up almost half the garage! Hahaha

PICS!