I’m a new chick mama and this video was so helpful, especially the part of closing off the coop where they lay eggs until they get to the age of actually laying! Thank you so much!
We already have the chicks outside, yet with our needing to create the nesting boxes, I appreciate the tip of covering it until they are ready to lay. Thank you. Blessings to you and your family. ~ Laura
Thank you, my first chicks are 2 days shy of 6 weeks and I'm about to move them outside into their new coop, which I spent the last week building. You shared some very good tips, especially about not letting them into the run too soon, I was going to do that, but wont make the mistake now. Thanks.
When our chicks were escaping the brooder and flying around the basement is when we moved them outside to the coop. They are very happy now. They have a lot more room to play and fly around.
Very well explained as we have 9 day old chicks in bath tub and need a bigger container….will get moving on that…NOW as they are growing fast and it’s still way too cold here in Pennsyvania We are enjoying this first experience 🌈😃🤙
We have been also staying visible and holding t❤he chicks. I whistle beth ovens 5th to them when they are being fed. Now they come to the entrance when they hear us now and are so friendly. We have our hen house and roost almost finished-it will soon be time for them to go out. We are so excited but dont want to rush the process. I have had hens before, just never raised them from chicks. Your information has been helpful.
Im sorry but, your trying tooooo hard... we take the chicks that were born in the coop and put them in a horse stall until they get fully feathered.. then back to the coop they go.. we leave them there for two weeks before they go out to free range with the other chickens, the only ones we have lost are ones that don't come back at dusk. so in 15 years I have lost three chickens. We live in Colorado country with LOTS of predators..If they don't have the instinct to go in at dusk, they get eaten..our roosters are generally the ones that train them to go in..What in the world do you think the settlers had to raise their chickens ?? heat lamps?? or even brooder boxes with heat lamps...Give me a break...chickens are the most resilient creature there is ...unless you spoil them like you do your kids, they will be fine!!! sorry but true...just saying!!!
3 chickens lost in 15 yrs? Hmmm, you sure that's accurate? Hell, we loose more than that due to genetic defects. But I do agree, nature doesn't go thru so much trouble. But I think some of the fun of it is the special care part. Some folks just enjoy it more than just tossing them in the yard. We brood our hatchlings in a big tote with a heat lamp for maybe 4 or 5 days. Then put them in a special raised pen in in the coop called the "nursery". No lamps, just lots and lots of bedding I collect from my saw mill and planers. That way I can bed them in hardwood bedding rather than smelly cedar n pine the store sells.
Why do so many people say it needs to be above 50 degrees at night before you can put them out in the coop? My chickens are fully feathered at 7 weeks. Why do they still need heat?
@@countryflyer4536 Naaaaa, just not a bullshter. 3 chickens, 15 yrs, area with "LOTS of predators ", free ranging..... Just doesn't add up. We have over 200 free rangers at any given time... Hell, we'll loose 2 or 3 a month to predators... Hawks mostly, but Coyote, Skunk, Coons,... Anyone that free rangers understands this. Defects dont have anything to do with environment and the natural order.
I enjoyed your video. I was looking for solar ideas to keep the water from freezing during the winter and ran across your video. When I moved my 10 Rhodel Island Reds from the coop in the garage, which was a large dog run fence. I moved them in a dog crate. I kept the dog crate in their dog run. I moved them all at once, at 8 1/2 weeks and moved the dog crate into their new home. The dog crate is still in there and will stay in there. This is where they ran to during the the 1st week after moving them. That might be an idea to use instead of moving them each day to the new area. Just bring their portable sleeping area. They always slept in the dog crate from 2 days old.
Your chicks may be cautious of you because you're approaching them from overhead. They are born with the instinct to fear predators from overhead. It may take them a while to see your face is friendlier than a hawk. :-)
Do it. We’re from the U.K. We moved away from the London suburbs to the Shropshire Hills and never regretted it. Priorities in life have really changed, material things doesn’t matter anymore. Our hens, fruit orchard and vegetable gardens come first and the sense of freedom is phenomenal. Just go, it’s hard work at first, but you will never want to look back.
I would just use a Brinsea heat brooder, the light thing is more complicated and a fire hazard. Heat paenl brrooder, is easier, more like Mummy hen and soooo much safer. No thermometer needed, don't need to measure air temperature as its Radiant heat, it does not even feel warm to touch but works as long as the chicks can touch it with their backs, theya are height adjustable.
we are new to having chick's in texas they (8) are going to be 5 weeks I need some help. husband had a stroke the day he picked them up 4-13 they were 2 weeks old he preditor proofed a 12x20 area stall that is on the othersidenof the carport and almost finished the eve portion with hardware cloth but we don't have the outside run area done yet will they be okay staying the coop area until I can get it finished with my son in laws help I also may not keep them with all I have on my plate he just got home from rehab hospital any tips grateful and when can I start fixing them grit and grass ,lettuce etc
It is warm enough here in Texas for you to move them out now. You can give them grass now but they need their starter feed for the first few months. Hope your husband feels better soon.
I have about 20 in a very large cardboard box living in my home. I clean the cage everyday, but they are still very stinky. I am desperate to get them outside! I think they are good enough, it's very hot right now, it'll be 87 degrees today so I think they will be ok.
Hello and welcome! The lower wire is more expensive because it is tougher. It is attached in the area that common predators enter which is around the bottom. The less expensive wire is above.
We are about to get our second batch of chicks and we are planning to keep our brooder in my pole barn temperature has been getting into the 90s so I wasn't sure about the heat lamp
I got my first ever chick's a few weeks ago. Every night they scream at around 10pm to get cuddles, before they fall asleep. A few weeks more and they can go out.
What do you mean? Chicks can be bought at different ages. Getting eggs to hatch, day old chicks, pullets or older hens from adopting/folks done with hens. Hatching out eggs is tricky and you need a broody hen (one willing to sit on them) or an incubator. Day old chicks are great if you want tame hens but it does take about 4 weeks of constant care, kind of like having a baby or a new pup/kitten. You will need to be available and attentive to them. Pullets are hens that are about 15-20 weeks old and just about ready to lay eggs. They won't be as tame, but you'll get your eggs in no time. Plus, you'll know you don't accidentally have a rooster. Older hens can be great, or they can be at the end of their height of laying. Hens lay really well for 2-3 yrs but then production starts to taper. My recommendation is to read up on the different options to decide which is right for you. Then research which breeds you'd like. Do you want brown layers, blue or green layers, Heritage breeds, or rare breeds? Do you care about their beauty, their personalities or just their egg laying ability? Next, think about where you'll be keeping them. Safety is a huge concern. Many predators can't wait for a chicken dinner. Make sure, with a simple Google search of your town (for example, NYC), and chicken ordinance to see what the law is in your community. You may only be allowed a certain number. And possibly no roosters. Important to know so you're not cited or made to get rid of everything you just invested in. And you definitely don't want to invest, then lose them all in one night to an overexcited raccoon. Personally, I recommend www.meyerhatchery.com They ship or you can drive (if you're not far from central Ohio!). Their site shows you in real time how many of each breed are available on any given hatch day. Hatch days are Mondays. There very affordable, the guarantee sex, and they will give you a FREE meal maker (layer or broiler depending on what you order) if you donate the eggs to the needy!! You just need to ask when ordering. They guarantee the health for a certain number of days too. My Pet Chicken gets their chicks from Meyer!! Why order from a middle man? Good luck! They are GREAT fun and it's quite rewarding to see them grow up and enjoy life! SO sad how we treat industrialized animal farming/animals. Good to be in tune with the environment and nature and raise your own. Pastured (free range) chickens don't need any supplemental feed during spring, summer and early fall unless you spoil them and want to give them treats. And sites like Chewy have very affordable feed options.
@@kellywilkes9276 Yes! You should think about your climate (some have feathered legs, feet; others have huge combs or barely any), whether you're pasturing (free ranging) them, and if you want meat production, egg production, or family friendly pets. I have a flock of mainly heritage and rare breeds and a rooster for an added layer of flock protection and they get along very well together, but some breeds like a Polish or a Silkie can struggle if they're alone without others with similar feathering because they can get bullied, not to mention they can't protect themselves when foraging due to limited vision from head feathers. And, lastly, while some folks like hens like white leghorns for their high egg production, some say they're super flighty. I have one and she's a darling so I personally disagree, but I think Meyer Hatchery has some good breeding lines and I got really lucky. Mine is the top of the pecking order of 13 and friendly as can be!! Also an amazing forager and surprisingly good at dodging predators (there's a hawk in the vicinity trying) and camouflaging in my woods. The absolute best birds for natural camo in my opinion are Partridge (I have Rocks and Welsummer) and Barred (I have Rocks and Dominiques. And my roo is a barred Plymouth Rock, very tame and sweet but does his job). Good luck!! It's a wonderfully joyful and fulfilling hobby.
I have never used heat lamp there only sell them may to oct and the oct are half off twice size. heat stroke is far more common than the need for a heat lamp. Heat lamp seller rip off how I may get one for the 9degree winter.
Thank you for the great advice, my question/comment is that I have 4 3-4 week old chicks and 7 10 day old chicks, I have them in totes inside my house and my older chicks are jum[ing/flying into the smaller chicks tote, is there any harm in this?
You're welcome. It is good for your chicks to get to know one another as they will have to live together in the near future. Just make sure the younger chicks are not getting pecked by the older ones. Do you have your coop built?
hi so my chicks are about 3x the size of yours they are delawares and cinnamon queens i belive they are almost 2 months of age because the delawares are fully feathered i believe and the cinnamons are about 3/4 feathered do you think they should be good soon?
Ours have done that only a few times over the last year. I counted maybe 5 times. I am not sure how to break them of it because it has never been an issue for us. Sorry, I am no help on this one.
2 weeks ago we bought 6 black Jersey Giant chicks. I'm aware that this is probably the worst time of year to be raising chicks, but my heart melted (they're my favorite breed) They are currently in a large plastic tub under a heat lamp in my laundry room, but this won't last forever. The weather here in the mountains is about to get VERY cold. There was a small coop in the barn when we moved here, a haphazard room created from scraps from the look of it. Our plan is to tighten up and reinforce this coop for the babies when they get their feathers and use heat lamps to prevent freezing temps for a while. Any advice on temps or run time or anything at all? Even a small word of encouragement would be appreciated at this point. LOL
You can do it! They will have to stay at at least 105f for a few days and then you can back it off. Run time will be all the time when they are small. Chickens are pretty resilient once they get all of their feathers. Getting them to feather out and stay warm is the challenge.
Hi! I have 6 week old chicks that have been out in their run during the day for a week now but they don’t seem to want to go into the coop at night. I didn’t realize we should’ve kept them in the coop for a few days before introducing to the run. Any suggestions to remedy this? We have a ChickenGuard locking door. Should we just disable it so they stay inside for a few days? Please help! Thanks!
First time hen owner here, thank you so much for such a great video. We will be getting 6 week old hens and a few resources have said to put them in the coop with food and water for 2 days. Then after two days, open the door so that they can use the run. Is this a good step to make sure they know where it's safe and where they sleep? It would be hard to not interact with our new birds but if it's best we can do that. Ideas?
Yes and no. They must be separated from your existing flock for a few days but be able to interact with them. So they need to be separated by wire fence. I am not sure you will be able to lock your other chickens out of the coop while the new ones acclimate inside.
@@CountryLivingExperience Thank you for the quick reply. This will be the first time we have any chickens at all so there is no worry about another group of birds to introduce. Just a coop and 6 week old hens. So would you recommend leaving them in just the coop for 2 days straight? Or can they run around the run on the first day being that they are the only ones there?
@@pastamac1753 I always leave my chickens locked up for 2 weeks then letting them out. All my chickens are free range during the day, and I have a “starter” coop for the chicks I put outside between 6 and 8 weeks old
@@CountryLivingExperience I have them in a crate in the house. I have a huge coop outside but I think they're too little to make it out there. .. I have the same breeds you have in your video. The R.I. Red and a black and white. 💕
Hello Neighbor, were in Southwest Oklahoma, we just got our first set of chicks today. Question, how far away should I keep the heat lamp from the chicks? I forgot a thermometer today, so I’ll be picking one up tomorrow. Great video, looking forward to learning a lot more from you. Thank you!
Hello. Congrats on getting your chicks. If there is enough room in your brooder for the chicks to move away from the lamp then the distance should not matter. Usually 9 inches above the floor is fine. Heating elements are much easier to control than a bulb so if you have the ability to get one, I would.
Thank you, I'm new to chick's and this helped a lot. I currently have my 15 day old chick's in a large bird cage that's in a spare bedroom. I have the ac vent closed and I do visit and hold them regularly i also keep the tv on for them so they don't get spooked by noise. My question though is can I move them from inside to outside in the shed as long as I keep the heat light on? I'm in the south so it's pretty warm during the day but it's still a little cold at night.
You're welcome. You can move them to the shed but you will need to keep them in a small confined space. Put up a cardboard barrier to keep them near the heat source. It needs to be large enough for them to move away from the lamp if it gets too warm. For 15 chicks I would say a 6x6 space.
I live in Texas and every day it’s in the mid to high 90s, sometimes reaching the 100s, and the chicks will be in the shade, so do chicks still need a heating lamp in that temperature or will they be fine without one since it’s already so hot.
We are in Texas too. They definitely do not need the heat lamp during the day. At night, they may still need it depending on their age. It was 75 at night here south of Tyler. Young chicks would still need a heat lamp for those temps. How old are they?
Country Living Experience: A Homesteading Journey I honestly don’t know since my mom received them as gifts(?) at her work yesterday but they look about 2 weeks when I compared them to images on google.
I'm having a hard time keeping my chicks alive from the incubator they look like they're starving I feed them I what the food I grind a food and try everything I have chick starter I have tried also gang food I don't know what's going on they look like they're sick but there's a lot of healthy ones and there is a lot of sickly poor looking ones how could I keep them all alive I'm losing per day maybe five or six chicks I had 100 I keep on losing they're very expensive breeds like Harmony's and other rare breeds
Chicks should be vaccinated or given medicated food. Is there poop loose? Also, you can give the sick birds a little sugar in their water for an hr or so.
Just ran across this video and it was a great help. I have five 3 wk. old Barred Rocks inside in a covered playpen with heat lamp. The tips on timing, acclimation to coop and waiting a bit on the run have really helped. Loving being a new chicken mom!
Excellent tips here, especially the part about acclimating them to the coop. We did this and it was stress free for them and made for very sociable, well adjusted girls.
My hens sometimes decide to go hide somewhere and when they come back they have anywhere between 3-12 baby chicks following behind the hen. I use a cattle trough to keep the hen and baby chicks in with a heat lamp hanging over it on one end. If it’s getting cold I’ll cover the trough with a board and have the heat lamp low enough to keep it warm inside the trough. Now I’ve noticed momma hen will decide on her own when the babies are old enough that she doesn’t feel the need to stay with the babies and will jump out and go back with the rest of the flock again. So the baby chicks spend a while on their own in the cattle trough. I leave them in there till the chicks get old enough that they start jumping up on the edge of the cattle trough and then I move the chicks to a Portable hardware cloth covered run/coop I built that’s on wheels like a wagon and it still has a heat lamp in it if it’s still cold? If it’s cold or rainy out I cover this portable coop/run with a tarp to keep the rain out and the coop warm. But whenever it’s warm and not raining I keep the tarps off so the other flock of chickens can see the baby chicks and visa versa! So the new chicks get introduced to the older chicks and when I do get to letting my chicks loose with the older flock they don’t have much trouble getting along or fighting. BTW, my portable coop/run wagon with wheels also has no floor so the chicks are on the grass underneath. But they have 2 4x4’s on each side the chicks jump up on and there’s another 2x4 up higher in the center of the coop/run wagon that as they get older will jump to the higher roost. Being the chicks poop a lot, since this moves like a wagon, I just move the coop/run wagon once a day or every other day so the chicks have new clean grass to be on. Plus the chicks will eat a little grass too! Least for me this method has worked out really well for me and my chickens. Only thing is when their in the coop/run wagon I have to feed and water the chicks every night before going to bed. When their in the larger coop they got larger containers for water and food and I don’t have to worry about food and water everyday for them. Besides they also have 3 different feeders outside in their run and a couple other water containers. Along with water in different areas on our 5 acres the chickens can get to anytime they want so their never going thirsty! Bugs aren’t a problem, we got lots of bugs! But the funniest one is when I was doing some weeding and came across a small gardener snake. About the time I realized what I was looking at one of my chickens rushed over and grabbed that little snake like lightning and was off at a dead run with the snake wiggling around on each side of her beak. Think my hen thought she hit the lottery when I uncovered that little snake! Of course the other hens seen the snake she had in her beak and then the wild chase was on with all the hens wanting a share of the snake too! Last time I seen that snake! LOL I read the hens will eat mice and snakes, but that was the first time I seen them eat one!
Very helpful! Thanks! I’m in AZ and it’s springtime! Our lows are in the high 50’s/low 60’s. I have 4 baby chicks with their mamma in a small coop/run right up against the main coop/run. But I also have two new babies from the store in a brooder. Maybe they will be ready sooner than I thought! One is a Rhode Island Red, and you are right about the friendliness! She’s the sweetest! Thanks for the video!
we always wait till feathered out and I still leave a heat light up in an area, I’m lucky enough to be able have two separate areas in the same coop so my chicks can acclimate to everyone so smooth transition, but a wire carrier works great for that too :)
First year with chics. We apparently purchased chics that were several weeks apart in age. Our leg horns and Rhode Island’s have been In The coop for almost a week and we let them run around during the day. We moved our smaller chics out a few days ago but it’s dropping to 39 degrees the next few nights. Judging by this video they are less than 4 weeks old. The odd part is our Rhode Island’s looked similar to your 3 week old chics when we originally brought them home (3 weeks ago) Now they are pretty big and almost fully feathered. Our larger batch of chics we brought home 3 weeks ago as well but they look very identical to your chics shown here. Not sure why Store would sell them with that big of age gap. All a learning experience and the small chics are going back into the brooder for another week or so. Once this cold snap moves through it should be pretty toasty in central KY. Thanks for the info.
You're welcome. Regular stores don't really keep track. If you order from a hatchery you will get exactly what you ask for. Best rule of thumb is that they can stay outside without heat once they are fully feathered. Some take a bit longer than others.
I'm so glad you said you had chickens in MI. I'm in northern Utah. My chickens are 9 weeks old and are in the coop, but I've kept the heat lamp on because our nights are in the teens. Is there an age at which I should turn the heat lamp off? Do I need to get them used to no heat source slowly? Really feeling nervous about the cold killing them.
As long as they are fully feathered they should be fine. You can play it safe and wait a few weeks after they are fully feathered out. Make sure the coop has some straw on the floor and nowhere for a strong breeze to get through.
I’m in Utah and in the same situation. Our chick will be 10 weeks old. I’m more than ready to get them outside but with it still freezing some nights I’m afraid they might not be ready.
My chicks are 5 weeks tomorrow, and still love the heat! They are not fully feathered, and it's cold outside since it's winter, but we're all impatient for them to be ready haha
I'm in N. Texas. Mine usually go out at 4 weeks. The first night or two go out and make sure they all find the coop. A light inside the first few nights works too. Usually a couple are a little smarter and the others learn from watching them.
@@CountryLivingExperience what are your recommendations when it’s 107 temps and your trying to get them acclimated to the coop? Even though their coop will be under shaded area, I don’t want them to bake.
We are new to raising chickens (10 White Leghorns) and ours are three weeks old and growing lots of feathers! Your videos are very helpful! Thank you so much!
This was very helpful. I have Sussex red chicks, a mix between the red and Rhode. They're going into their 3rd week with feathers starting to sprout. I've been handling them and letting them get used to me. I have 4 hens and two roos. Just working on building the chicken coup now. My chickens will be in my garage. I live in town, and not supposed to have chickens, but my country girl desires country living. I have a large enough yard and some decent neighbors. I'm not concerned about the smell, since I won't have that many chickens and will keep things very clean. For the coup, I got 2 large dog kennel plastic trays for the base and building to fit around those. Kind of like an apartment with food, water on the main, and a couple of laying boxes, then up top two more laying boxes. There will be some sticks for roosting on and so they can climb up to the top boxes and hang out on the upper level if they want. Then the right side of the coup will be more open for future meat birds and just extra space until then. It'll have a door to open in the front so I can pop it open to get eggs. Kinda like what you have on your coup. That's a good idea to know to block off the laying boxes so they don't huddle in there and poop before they're ready to lay eggs. Good advice.
Wow! Great, advice, and suggestions. Thank you! I have 3 female Brahma. They were hacked 07-22-2020, they have their feathers on their bodies and on their feet. Cute, and they are huge! I live in Port Orchard, WA. and I have their coop ready, but not their hardware cloth run. I am still working it out in my mind. I am just wondering if I can place them out in the coop and closed-door (closed locked door) with water and food for a few hours each sunny day whether this would be alright? Laverna of Port Orchard
You're welcome Laverna. They can go in that coop for a few hours each day if they are fully feathered and it is warm enough outside. As long as they meet that criteria, they should be good.
We put our chicks out in the coop at 3 weeks. It was mid March this time around. I do begin to acclimate them starting at 1 week by setting their brooder outside in the sun on warmer days. I'm in Illinois so it's still pretty chilly here. Mine have done great!!
We've done well with three different batches this way now. Makes em tough to withstand the elements going forward. I do the same with my seedlings. I don't baby anything.
We built a small box with a small yard in the middle of our run to house the younger chicks hoping that the older chickens would accept them faster. Unfortunately we haven't had much luck, the bigger chickens are brutal with the younger ones & haven't gotten any better after a couple of weeks. We were planning to make a bigger coop & run anyway, so my plan is to put the younger chickens in there & put the rooster in with them for a few days before bringing the older chickens in a couple at a time. Not sure how it's going to go but hoping it works!
I've had chickens for three years and bought new chicks 4 times. I had a neighbors dog climb into my free range area and kill a bunch of my chickens so I replaced those birds with chicks in September of last year. I have multiple roost boxes (3) and each one has a private run. But they are all in the same free range area. I don't normally allow them out of the private runs until they are nearly full size. I only have one rooster and one hen from the original flock, but the old hen still picks on everyone. Especially at snack time. I try to have snack time everyday. Even if I just pull some clover and let them pull if off the stem.
I’m living the life and love it. We’ve always had chicks hatched by hens before, this is our first incubation clutch. However, we don’t have a power source in our coop, so we might have to wait until they are full feathered.
🌞🥵🏝️108 here. How to keep cool. We've got fan with frozen water behind it blowing into one corner. Battery fans too with frozen water, temp is 90 night, day 99-101
I missed when do you put new chickens and how do you put new chickens baby chickens when they're ready to go outside and you already have year old chickens when do you know when you can put them together
I know this is a yr old... my chicks are 4 weeks tomorrow... and the heads are the last to get feathers.. almost ready! but I AM READY, they are in my house... lol! My rhode island reds are bullies to the others! Its a shame..
thanks for this informative video. some testimony for your other followers...my (almost) 7 wk barred rocks (fully feathered) are outside now all night without heat in a well built coop. we first let them out a few days in mid 50's to nearly 60 degr temps to acclimatize ( during the day only). after a few days of this i let them out all night with temps upper 40's to about 50 degr and they seem to be just fine. praise God in Jesus' name!
Is your coop in the barn???? Don't they need sunlight? I'm sure they'd like to have a run over the grass where they can scratch maybe it's just the angle but the coop looks small for all those birds.
I have 4 baby chicks from 5, 4 and 2 weeks old and I have been taking them outside to play for few days now and They love it. We live in the High desert in California, past 2 weeks Temperature 🌡️ over 111 plus humidity. Back to chicks they will run around chasing each and flapping wings, I have them by front door so after 15 minutes they will come up to door so they can go back inside, My Rooster and Hens will come to front but I have fencing and chicken wire. Is it going to affect my chick's? My Hens Never jumped out of container or did what these chicks do. From the 4 chick's 3 jump out of container
