Unsecure chicken perches

[ndchickens]

Hello, first post here:

 

Have 11 chicks, 3 and 4 weeks old (odd number and ages because of a shipping problem with the first chicks). The brooder is getting small. Although cold at night outside, I have the cube in my greenhouse for now, so that, along with them being in the cube at night should be fine temp wise.

 

A few questions:

 

1) The roosting bars in my Cube look as though they will take some getting used to for smaller feet. Is there a certain age at which I should wait to move them in? Am I going to find stuck chicks? I wonder if they can make the big jump to the ladder (although I do see them jumping and flying around in the run when I have them in there, so I suppose so)

 

2) Also, I suppose they can just use the nesting box for walking around for now, right?

 

3) I've been told that at night they don't need food and water, to leave it outside. Is this true?

 

4) Should I confine them to the Cube for a few days before letting them run around (have been taking them to the run from the brooder during the day for awhile, they seem to love it) or will they "imprint" easily if they are in it at night?

 

5) Finally, is shutting them in the coop at night purely for security, or other reasons? For now, because its in the greenhouse, security from predators isn't much of a worry.

 

Thanks for the patience with beginner questions!

 

John

[sjp]

I can't about the cube

but I assume they are incubator hatched in which case at 4 weeks they still need to be on heat for 2 or 3 weeks more at least

broody rasied then they will be ok at that age as they have mom to keep them warm at night

I've got some 4/5 week old one that are broody hatched that have been in a raised coop since they were 2 weeks old and they cope really well with the concrete block steps up to the coop landing one or two are now getting on to the low perches (18"/500mm) off the ground

when I moved them into their new coop over night was long enough for them to now it was home

I lock all my lot in at night but with chicks it stops the more active independant ones from exploring at night and not been able to get back

[Redwing]

Its still too cold for them to be outside without a heat source even in the cube in the greenhouse so I think you'll be stuck bringing them in for a while yet. I have chicks 8 weeks old still living in a shed with a heat lamp at night - in the summer they'd be fine at 4 weeks but not at this time of year unfortunately

 

When they are ready to go out you can take the roosting bars out and just fill the trays with bedding for them

 

They wont be able to manage the cube ladder for some time yet (at least another 6 weeks) so unless you close the door of the cube and move them down to the floor each day its not the best place for them to be, you can take the wheels off the cube and have it at floor level but I dont know how tricky that is. A rabbit hutch would do for the intrim stage though

 

They will imprint on the cube after a while but there will probably be a few nights where you'll have to move them to bed - it shouldnt be long before they catch on though

[ndchickens]

So, if I have temp controlled and move them in and out at the end of the day, the rest should be fine?

 

Do I need to have feed/water in there at night?

 

John