Chick brooder how long

When my babies first venture out I generally leave them outside for no more than a couple of hours. That's enough time for them to explore, start to get used to strange noises which will help them a lot when they finally go into the Big Girls' run , and not get chilled. But as ever, use your common sense and your knowledge of your own flock.

Do they look as though they're puffing up their feathers? They may be getting cold. Are they peeping in that frightened way you will have heard before? If so, what's scaring them? Can you help or do they just need to go inside? Most importantly, don't leave them by themselves. You need to watch them. Take advantage of it - what could be nicer than spending a couple of hours in your garden on a lovely warm spring day watching the antics of your babies?

Links in this section are " affiliate links ", which means that if you click and buy something, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Buy something to contain them. You can rig something up yourself fairly easily using wooden poles and chicken wire. At the bottom of the netting the holes are only 5cm x 5cm, so small enough to contain chicks after about 5 - 6 weeks old, depending on the breed of course. It's nice and high so I also use it at times when introducing newbies to the adult flock, when I need to keep some hens separated from others - or when I need to protect my plantpots from hens intent on dust-bathing in them!

However, be very aware: netting like this will keep chickens in but it will not keep predators out. It's not designed as a safety device, it's designed as a way of containing. But as always you should experiment to see what makes your chickens happiest. As with all baby animals, chicks are very fragile.

It is normal to lose a few chicks out of your day-olds. The vast majority of chick death happens within the first three to five days.

Give your chicks especially close care and attention during that time. Dehydration is a common cause of early chick death. The chicks may need help finding food and water. Dip their beaks in their water if they are not finding it. Sugar can be added to their water as a quick boost for chicks who are especially weak or woozy, but should not be used as a long-term supplement.

Basically, sticky feces coat the backside of the chick, drying onto their feathers, and clog up their vent, which is where chickens urinate, defecate, and lay eggs. A clogged vent can kill a chick—not to put too fine a point on it, they burst. Luckily, this is totally preventable. Pick up each of your chicks every day and check their bottoms. Wipe away any stuck feces with a warm, damp rag.

When you are finished, dry your chick close to a heat lamp or with a blow-dryer. Getting chilled can kill a chick too.

Related Post: Chicken Mites. To keep your chicks healthy, you need to keep the brooder at the correct temperature. If they are clustered far away from the light, they are too hot. Being too hot or too crowded can actually cause chicks to become aggressive toward one another. Watch their behavior and adjust their heat lamp accordingly. Chicks stay in the brooder until they have developed most of their juvenile feathers, usually about six weeks. Or until they start escaping the brooder on their own!

By about four or five weeks, young chickens can flutter enough to get out of a cardboard box. If you are brooding chicks in the winter, it will be longer before they can deal with the outdoor temperatures in the coop. They may become skilled escape artists in that time. If their escapes are becoming a problem, you can clip their wing tips like you would an adult bird. At four or five weeks, you can also start letting them outside during the day. This depends on your situation and your level of paranoia.

I have an enclosed garden space where I let them roam while sitting with them most of the day. Then I have to catch them all by hand in the evening. You may not have the time or patience for this. If a heat source is required, is there electricity to the coop and if so, can heat be safely supplied? If not, the move should wait until outside temperatures are warmer. Is the coop predator proof? Chicks need to be protected from predators getting into the coop as well as from escaping from the safety of the coop themselves.

Hardware cloth should be used to keep predators out and chicks in the coop. Each chick generates body heat and the more chicks there are, the better able they are to keep each other warm when necessary. Smaller birds can be seriously hurt by normal pecking-order behavior from older, bigger birds.

The integration process should be slow and deliberate to minimize conflict and stress for both groups of birds. I use and highly recommend The Playpen Method , which is a tried-and-true recipe for a low-stress, low-conflict merger. Transition from one housing unit to another is extremely stressful for chickens of all ages. The behavioral problems that can result from this stress can be managed when knowing what to expect.

When chicks are moved, they will be confused and will require time to acclimate to the coop. They need time to adjust to the idea that the coop is their permanent home and the place to which they should return at night. For this reason, I recommend keeping them inside the coop for several weeks prior to allowing them access to the run. You can see more of Shelby's articles at: www. Spread The Hoover's Love. Baby Chick Care Brooders. Why Your Kids Need Chickens.

More about Shelby DeVore Shelby is an agricultural enthusiast that shares her love of all things farming with her husband and two children on their small farm in West Tennessee. Taming Chickens March 4,