You Don't Know what You Don't Know

As a new chicken mama, I'm amazed at the posts I'm reading about how long everyone seems to be keeping baby chicks in brooders, especially now that it's 1000 degrees outside and then locked up like Fort Knox for the rest of their lives - and how nervous people are and how protective they are because they love their chicks so much. Guess it's good I didn't know what I didn't know. I'd read numeous books on chickens (before I found this site) and most said they could be moved outside as soon as it was warm and I figured in the "ole days" when real mama hens laid and hatched their eggs, they had their babies out running around the farm the next day - in some areas it was still "winter time". So, I put my week old baby chicks out in a pen on back deck during day and brought them in at night because it was April and temps still dropped to very cold. By two weeks, I was leaving them out all night but covering the pen and putting lamp in with them. It was hysterical to watch them all night long chase the bugs and moths that got in pen drawn toward light. The baby chicks were only 2 weeks old and had their own game of chase and catch going on all night. Of course, next day they would sleep a lot - spread out in the sun - since they had been up all night. By 4 weeks they were free ranging and only placed in a larger pen at night because I had gotten another batch of three-day old chicks. They started staying outside from day one since it was now May and warm every day - they too had a light on the cool nights and played the same catch games. My point is: I guess if they are supposed to be in a brooder for 8 weeks (1) either I got really lucky or (2) it's not necessary. Guess what I didn't know didn't hurt me or them. They feathered really fast and grew quickly. Today they are still free-ranging and loving every minute of it. You can see them on my chicken page - there's pics of them outside at 2 weeks old and they lived to tell the tale. I'm not saying anyone else is doing anything wrong, so please don't slam me - there's been enough of that going on in recent posts. I'm just saying that I think about the way it is done in nature and try to raise my chicks as close to that as possible. Hope to be encouraging to those who are posting and asking "when can they go outside" - answer "right now" - their mama hen, if they had been left with her, would have them out the day they were born. I truly believe it is healthier for them than being cooped up in a heated box all day walking around on their own droppings.

I know, I know, let the slam dunk begin.

 

Hi Silkie - yeah, I never used a 250 watt bulb either - knew I would have baked chicken by morning if I did. I watched my baby chicks at all times. I nearly baked them to death just by putting their cardboard box out on the deck in a nice shady/sunny spot. Well the clouds shifted and the sun came out and when I check on them again about 10 minutes later they were nearly baked alive - just from the sunshine. Laying on bottom of box - looking really bad. That box had heated up like you wouldn't believe. I quickly put them in the shade, sprinkled cold water on them and began fanning them. That's how I knew it was time for them to go in their pen - it had much better ventilation. Never had a problem after that but the whole week I had them in big cardboard box they were either huddled up (too cold) or panting (too hot) - guess that's why a brooder is so great if you can regulate the temp but yeah, the books said 95 degrees and I thought what about those born and raised by their mothers. Sure a mama hen can huddle her newly born/hatched chicks under her wings but you don't usually see one putting her flock of 8 week old ones there.

I'm just trying to encourage people to lighten up a little and relax - enjoy those chicks and let them be chicks. Mine probably got big so fast because they ate all the live bugs they could catch each night. Really was funny. I put the pen next to our window seat on deck and would just sit and watch the games from inside the house - they would go on ALL night long and I mean ALL night. They aren't as fragile as you might think. I've seen them (for hours) chasing bugs and slamming into walls and each other in the process and never miss a blink. You could just tell they were having the time of their lives - they still do - out freeranging - still playing the same chase and catch games.

 

I'm glad to see all the posts - so far so good. Hoping that some of the newbies who seem scared to death to do "anything wrong" and are seeking guidance will find that they can relax a little. Those chicks don't have to be inside in a brooder box till they lay eggs.

Really thought I would get slammed on that and told I didn't love my chicks enough - cuz, hey - I let them free-range too and we have every predator know to man in our woods but I truly see how happy it makes them. If I don't open the gate to their run they stand on the other side and stare out as if to say "open, open, open". And when it's opened, man they run, fly, flap, fly, run to their favorite trees, bushes, patch of woods, etc. No fighting or hen pecking while free-ranging.

And, filed under "you don't know what you don't know" -they aren't as "dumb" as some people would lead you to believe. I never see my chicks anywhere near the open football field in our backyard yelling "here hawky, hawky - try and get me".