Of course I can't find my camera to show off DH's fine craftsmanship, but I've been putting my month old chicks out in their new coop for the last couple afternoons--and they seem fine. It is in the high 60's/low 70's during the day--but at night it drops to the mid 40's. Even in the summer with temps in the high 90's we tend to drop into the 50s/low 60's at night. When can I leave them out all night? Now, when I bring them in at sunset,and put them in their kennel/brooder, some of them get up on the roost and stretch out under the heat lamp, but I think they are just a little spoiled. Is there an age when I don't have to worry about nighttime temps and can just move them out?
Chicks staying out all night?
I have always waited until they are fully feathered to put them out. Of course, that is usually around the first of July, although we have had frost then too. So, I would say use your common sense. If you think it is too cool for them, then bring them in. If not, then they should be okay.
Thanks granny. I think I started leaving my last group out at about 8 weeks--but then it was getting cooler and darker, not warmer and lighter and they fledged less quickly. I think I remember a book saying when they looked like fat pigeons they were ready to go out. These are more small crow-size, I'll bring them in for a couple more weeks. Poor DH, chick dust is all over the bedroom and I still leave the heat lamp on all night--but it is red--so that is sort of romantic, right?
I love those heatlamps! Its gives the room a pleasant glow! My neighbor always knows when I have chicks (chicken or parrot) because he sees the red glow from his house! I wonder what people driving by at night think? Red light district???
oh yes, gotta have the red glow for all our neighbors too LOL
i put my sex links out at three weeks, but inside the henhouse with MANY heat lamps. it still gets pretty cold here. they are four weeks now and looking fluffy. i was thinking six weeks is fully feathered, but might depend on the breed.
my bantams will have to go out by Friday so i can get the brooder clean for the hatches this weekend. DH isn't done yet. but if worse comes to worse they can shack up with the sex links...
now FIND THAT CAMERA. we wanna see pictures!
tf
Hmmmmmm, looking like fat pigeons, huh? Squab, anyone? Don't have anything like that here, only mourning doves. And, no, I don't miss them.
I have about half of my chicks outside, now. They are
fully feathered, except for their heads. I learned after
2 nights of sleeping on the cold ground, that I had to
teach them to go in the box at night. Their temporary
home is the goat pen, modified for them, with the goat's
'box' being a 36x48 wooden structure, with an elevated
floor with a pile of hay inside. We shoo them in at night, and
cover the hole with a board, so they stay pretty toasty
with each other for warmth. We have had mostly 50's at
night since we put them out. We finally get the holes dug
today for the chicken's house.
I love you 4paws. I love
you Miss Beckie. ;o) I wish princess kathy a good day.
Oh truest, Congratulations on a new chicken house! I wish I had had more input on ours. DH spent months working on it, but I can already see changes I would like to make--at least twice as big with a poopy drawer!
How old are you chicks and how many do you have out? Mine are exactly a month today and are pretty fully fledge, but there are only seven so I am not sure how much heat they will generate and the night time temps will be in the forties for weeks to come. Still with daytime temps reliably in the 70s it seems like they should be able to stay out.
I have 12 outside right now. They are a mix of ameraucana,
cochin and crested polish. We had storms yesterday, and it
rained all night. I went out with my trusty umbrella in the
middle of the night to check on them. They were hatched
February 9th, so I guess they will be 6 weeks this Saturday.
I was waiting for the wind to die down and the temp to rise
before I let them out this morning, but about half let themselves
out by hopping/flying over the board before I could get out
there. We had 40's last night, and they were still happy this
morning. I think if they have a warm pile of bedding or hay
and each other, plus out of the wind, they are good to go.
I am very glad, as it was getting difficult keeping up with
the cleaning of their brooder- bigger chicks- bigger poop!
I still have 2 of the hatchery chicks inside, one is slow
feathering, the other cochin is tiny. And, I have 6 home
hatched that are 4 weeks old still inside under the light.
I love you Joyce, I love you miss rachael and may
princess kathy check her mail today.;o)
I started putting my chicks out at about 6 weeks I think. They have a heat lamp, and a box to help contain the heat. The first few night they all slept in the box, but now they sleep whereever. We get down in the 20's still over night...but they have been fine. They also have Bob to keep them warm these days.
My other chicks are only 3 weeks old, and definately not ready to go out yet!
This has been very helpful....based on everyones comments I feel confident in bringing them in for the next two weeks (there is no way to get a heat lamp out at the coop) and leaving them out after that. I think I could probably leave them out sooner--but I just don't want to mess up what has been a very happy experience so far. Thank you all!
sure thing! goo dluck on your poopy drawer! i even have them in my brooder. sorry, gotta brag on the ole guy every now and then!
i did a little trick, put an old heavy skillet in the corner of the large brooder cage [the one w/out drawers!] near the heat lamp. they like to pile up in that at night. so i don't have to feel guilty or go out in the middle of the night when i left the door partly open for late comers...
you can't see it behind the waterers...
here is little boy showing off his sex link roos ["don't kill them! don't eat them! they are too sweet!"]. two lamps for the roos, one a little lower for the ducks...
here is a close up of the pan. they have gotten big for it, but still like it. just have to dump the poo in the garden.
when they first went out, they were petrified of the wire floor. i just kept putting wood chips in there, and replaced it as it got pushed through down to the ducks brooder. now they arused to it, and take up the whole spot! they have to go out by Friday!
Okay, TamaraFaye, you asked for it. Chick Pics and Coops. I found my camera in the sock drawer this morning! This first is a picture of the Meyer's special small order box with heat pad they came in exactly a month ago. It was a really neat set up and the chicks were in great shape. I would definitely do it again if I wanted a small order.
Just because I can, this is a picture of the Almond and Orange trees in my yard today. You can see why I feel that the chicks should be able to stay out--Spring is in full bloom.
And this is the cherry tree with my German Shepherd Stella "The Princess".
And here are 6 of the babies. The Marans is the dark one in the middle, to the right is the Delaware (my favorite). The two Welsummers are to the left of the Marans. There is a RIR behind her and you can just see the tail end of the other RIR at the top of the picture.
Similar picture, but you can see the buff Orpington in this one.
This is the new coop with a rabbit cage behind it. We (read DH) are going to put a pitched roof on it because of the winter rains; and we need to put a ramp to the top compartment where I intend to put the nest boxes. I bought 300 lbs of paving sand Monday and lugged it home in 50 lb bags. Then spread it out on the coop floor which is covered in 1/4 inch hardware cloth. Then spread a bale of pine shavings over the sand. Greater love.....
Better watch thoes chicks staying out all night. Next thing you know they will be smoking and drinking and hanging out with the boys on the corner. (sorry couldn't help it, I'm going winter crazy)
:0)
You should see their "MySpace" pages!
This message was edited Mar 20, 2008 10:36 AM
Jyl, we're just jealous because we still have snow and these other folks don't. At least the sun is shining here today, and I hope it is over there in TC. More snow can melt!!!!
Ooh, Cat. Thanks for the pictures. Very nice. I am so
happy with my DH, as he is having a good time planning
the chicken's house. We got post holes dug yesterday,
in solid rock.[;oP
I am tickled to see your Marans, as it looks speckled!
And, I have 2 chicks from Blanca and Davey that I
have been trying to identify. Davey is adopted, and is
a 'blend' that I don't know, but one is speckled with dark
legs and looks just like your Marans. Maybe if I am
lucky, it will be a pullet and I will get nice brown eggs!
I love geneivy.
I love Miss Robbi.
May princess kathy have chocolate eggs.
This message was edited Mar 20, 2008 8:39 AM
Truest, I hope you sent Princess Kathy some chocolate eggs for Easter. (teehee) And, no, I am not playing.
I did send her something(s) but, no chocolate eggs yet.
Maybe one of you can help ID this chick?
I love granny_goody.
I love Miss Tammy
May princess kathy have all the easter baskets.;oP
Hi truest, She does look cuckoo, rather than barred. Hoping for dark eggs!
Everyone--I know the flowering tree pictures were obnoxious, given all the "wearther" people are going through--but I've lived in almost every area of the States and would trade all the early CA flowers for the beauty of seasons and a good piece of land elsewhere :-)
Thanks, Cat. Are you saying she's a cuckoo marans?
Or, just a cuckoo something because of the color pattern?
I know it's not pure by any means, but I think she's pretty.
The only one that I have that looks like her. Maybe I will
name her 'Uniqua' hahaha from a TV cartoon. I heard that
name and just about died laughing. I would be happy if for
sure it's a hen, and if I get those pretty brown eggs.
I loved the tree pics. You know all the northerners love the
early spring fix they get from the flowering whatever's. ;o)
I love Catscan, and I wish for her some seasons to her year.
I love Miss Robbi, may she thaw out soon.
May Princess Kathy not be a cuckoo! LOL
Ah, yes! The "Is it a boy or is it a girl?" question. One of my chicks started making odd sounds last night. Don't know if it is an incipient crow, or just the Marans speaking French. Can't tell which chick it is either. DH keeps glaring at the cocky Welsummer and saying "That bird is definitely different." But I think he is hoping I have to give at least one of them away so they will fit in the coop.
I know cuckoo coloring shows up in many breeds and dark brown Marans eggs are not likely in a Marans cross--the trait seems to dilute quickly--But if "Uniqua" (what was the cartoon?)is a pullet and lays darker eggs than usual--I would go ahead an assume some Marans heritage. My Marans "Brie" is very dark, which is suppose to be a good indication that she is a pullet--Male Marans are a lighter grey.
Aw, shoot. I was hoping that the eggs would come through.
The cartoon is on PBS. My DGD doesn't live here with me
anymore, so I haven't seen it in a while, and can't remember.
I'll still go with Uniqua, as I have Marilyn Monroe (likes my
engagement ring and is a bleach blonde w/ dark roots wcbp)
Amelia Earhart (cochin with a 'wing' thing going on) Jay Leno
(wcbp-has an interesting black shock in front of white crest)
and Elvis Presley (blue cochin with big 'suede shoes'). And,
Big Red (name says it all) an ameraucana. DH has reminded
me not to name them all- well, let's just call them 'Haut Cuisine.'
I love Patchouli78.
I love Miss Tammy.
May princess kathy have all the stars.
thanks Cat!
love that work you [DH] are doing! be careful they don't eat the sand, it can kill them, compacted crop...
truest, looks like a Privett Hatchery Black Australorp to me LOL
our PBAs will be going into their temp outside coop tomorrow... almost done!
oops, better photo...
Hey, looks like my DH, similar facial hair--only mine's a Jersey boy. Its nice to see men working--I'm especially fond of men wearing toolbelts and working with lumber.....:-)
and all the time their Y chromosome is working as they mutter " Y do you need it this way? Y do you want more (inject plants, chickens etc here)? and so on........
Bless their manly hearts! :-)
MollyD
Hey, MollyD, my DH was the one who decided we needed a larger henhouse. I just smiled and didn't say a word. (teehee)
i reminded him why, because there are 54 eggs in the hatcher!
hsi hails from Vermont, so how aobu that???!
Mine hails from Mississippi. I guess I reversed the trend of Yankees going down south to Southerners coming up north. ROFLMAO
Mine hails from New York just like me :-)
MollyD
Love seeing the guys work around the place. A very
basic feeling comes to mind, out on the prarie, bustin sod
and getting the homestead put together by the help of menfolk.
Very satisfying. I am tickled by DH, he suggested a bigger
hen house, and is really getting into it, guess it satifies a need
of his. To Provide for the Women Folk. LOL
I'll check out those australorps, TF. ;o)
MollyD- love the Y questions!!!ROFLMAO!
i loveamaliayosa.
i love miss tammy.
May princess kathy check her mail today.
Hi truest!
Love those menfolk! We're waiting till spring ( when it reaches us) to get a hen house ready. I have a cattle panel hoophouse greenhouse that is getting replaced this year. The hoophouse is still sound enough to be converted into a hen house with the addition of more insulation. A chicken raising friend says the gravel floor will work well for the chickens too so that is where my young ones will go once they're ready for outdoor life.
MollyD