Raising Chickens: Making a Brooder and Raising Baby Chicks

Our apologies but we can no longer respond to questions but I have turned comments back on since there is a lot of good information there. -- Raising your flock from baby chicks is easy. We'll share some of the lessons we've learned raising hundreds of day old chicks. for more info, visit victoryfarm.org

[@yw8990]

Thanks so much for the great video!! I got 31 young chicks about 10 days ago. Until now 2 of them have died most likely because of piling up. Immediately after watching your video I built for them a much bigger place without any sharp corners. Now they are very well spreaded and are much happier than before.

[@JackNorthrup]

We just made a small coop and purchased our chicks, but are thinking about hatching birds. Thank you for your video. We are raising native birds here in the Philippines.

[@Bellbeesevenacresfarm]

We are getting chicks today so this really helped! Thank u so much

[@MountainScentaments]

Great information! My first ever chicks will arrive in 2 weeks ..so excited!

[@suprsleep]

Very helpful! We just bought 100 chicks and 6 have died in the last two days. This video has educated me so I now know what to do, thank you

[@mlwhite8621]

Great video and awesome advice in the comments section. We're getting a few chicks from the school's lot in the beginning of April. I hope to order some additional chicks from McMurray's in May. Your videos answer a lot of my questions. Thank you

[@Lisaj4431]

I love your vids and responses, its nice to see a farmer that cares about his flock. I'm a new subscriber. Carry on

[@SpecificLove7]

I am getting some chicks this week and have raised a few before, but this time I will have to introduce them to 4 adult birds (2 hens and 2 roosters) at your suggested 8 week period. One of the roosters is very calm and the other is quite mean towards anything in their pen. For example, I usually carry a broom for security (been spurred before). Do you have any suggestions for the introduction?

[@victoryfarm]

We have a video on that very topic! Raising Chickens: Moving Your Pullets / Chicks to Your Coop

[@SpecificLove7]

awesome thanks, I will check it out.

[@victoryfarm]

Sorry to hear about that. Also pay close attention to how much moisture is in your brooder as well. Your bedding should be mostly dry and there should be little smell. Good luck!

[@imasavage504]

Thank you for the tips, I'm prepping for my first set of birds and I've found your videos very helpful with lots of little inside tips you get from experience. Thank you again!

[@T289c]

Very good info and tips. I am going to be brooding chicks and adding them to my adult flock in the Spring. I know you said 8 weeks. In the past I have kept the chickens in separate coops outside for a few weeks before integrating. I thought this was to prevent sickness and disease as they can be vulnerable in a new environment. Also I heard it is best to add them at night when the adults are less active. You think I will be ok adding my 8 week olds straight in the coop in the evening? I worry about sickness.

[@victoryfarm]

I have another video on moving a brood into an adult flock. It's not about avoiding sickness and disease as much as carnage through suffocation and attack. Although nearly all of our moves went off without a problem a few went spectacularly wrong. In the worst we lost 17 birds out of 44 overnight. It was a hard lesson.

[@victoryfarm]

That is a very good question. We've never done it here. Generally I don't like to medicate birds until I see a problem because the medication can get into the eggs of adult birds. We've been lucky enough to never have to medicate for anything so far. I can't recall ever hearing of worming of pullets as a general practice. Best bet is to read some of the articles on the hatchery sites (they tend to be more useful than the books I've seen on poultry raising)

[@NadyaAct]

We live in Florida. Can I keep them outside during the day (monitoring the 95 degrees temperature) and take them in the barn for the nights?

[@dawggonekrazylady3874]

Thank you so much!!! Great info !!! I really didn't think I could become attached to them, That only lasted about 5 seconds !!!! I love them I have 2 guinea hens and 2 Americana. Just got them today, they are 5 days old. Think I will get two more tomorrow RIR's They are all 5 days old. From the great state of Texas Beautiful babies!

[@victoryfarm]

I would recommend a heat lamp. They put out 250 watts with much of it in the infra-red so there is much more heat than two 60 watts are going to provide. I've never tried regular bulbs so I can't be sure but I would not feel comfortable doing so.

[@victoryfarm]

It's a good start. Coexisting is a tricky problem. Popular terms like "pecking order" and "henpecked" have real roots with real problems and can occur in a flock of any size. I have two coops with birds from the same broods and each coop seems to have it's own personality. In one coop they get along much better than the other. If you're exhibiting your biggest concern will be pecking. The best advice I can give is that happier chickens seem to peck less.

[@rosysnow3356]

Hello, I Just got 6 chicks a couple weeks ago from our tractor supply place and were getting 16 red stars by mail and should be coming June 1st so my question was since our 6 chicks we have now will be about two months old by the time our red stars come and or chicks will be like two days old do we still wait 8 weeks to introduce them? and if we do do that can we leave them all together in the coop over night? cause im afraid they will hurt the younger chicks? and This is my first time having chicks So please reply I would really appreciate it! bye

[@CarolReidCA]

Great info. I'm learning before deciding weather or not to get chicks, if so how many, etc. TY for the insights. Does the 8-weeks rule apply to small & larger breeds? Colder or warmer weather?

[@piglett2195]

i cut the cord in 1/2 on my brooder lamp then added a dimmer from wallyword which was only $6 i also put a dial thermostat in . now if it's too cold i can add more heat & if it's too warm i can dim the light some great vid VF subscribed!

[@robertmuir4496]

Hey Victoryfarm, Ya it's cold and don't want to lose any of them.Maybe in a 30 days it will get a little warmer.Getting sick of this weather.Thanks again.

[@fingegotmilk1465]

It depends on what set up you have for your chicken pen/run when it comes to releasing chicks with the rest of the flock. Personally, I have a brooder coop, with an enclosed run where I put my chicks when they're a week old, or when they start growing feathers. Mine were with the flock at 5 weeks, and after a few chasing, things settled down. Today, my pullets and cockerel are happily roaming with the flock at 10 weeks of age.

[@katcattz]

Your video was very helpful! I have been around chickens my whole life, but am just now getting a flock of my own. I have two groups of babies, about the same age, different breeds, but they came from different places. How long do I wait to integrate them into one brooder, or do I need to wait until they are in the coop?

[@victoryfarm]

I've never tried this but I believe that if they are the same age and young enough, say less than 4 weeks old, you should be able to integrate them now. I've never seen significant pecking behavior in pullets so you should be okay. The only worry is if they one group had different vaccinations than the other. For example if one is vaccinated for coccidiosis and the other is not then you might want to give them different feed. If you do have any that were vaccinated make sure they don't get medicated chick starter (most are). We've had to move to game starter which is not medicated.

[@katcattz]

Okay thank you very much, that is very helpful. I will be sure to check on their vaccinations and feeding types.

[@thebunny9000]

okay thank you. i was wondering what kind of feed you feed your chickens, for them to lay alot of eggs

[@redrumck81]

awesome, spot on info. of course i dont have to tell you that:) i learned the hard way last year by not doing my research first. i went out buying adult chickens left and right from individuals and my whole flock got sick. this year, im starting with an online hatchery and doing it the right way. i have fully sterilized my coop and washed all feeders with a 50/50 bleach and water solution. i am hoping that after 8 weeks, my coop will be ok for my new flock. do you recommend i do anything else? thank you!

[@victoryfarm]

Sound like you're doing the right things. Only other advice is to watch the chicks. They will let you know how they're doing. Make sure they're brooder is dry, watch whether they gather under the heat lamp and adjust accordingly and you should be fine.

[@victoryfarm]

I can't answer that one -- but it all comes down to this: Do the best you reasonably can. We like to say "Happy chickens make better eggs." As long as they have a nice dry home and are taken care of you should be just fine. Most chickens in the world live in horrible conditions and yours will always be happier than them. Aside -- chickens also love table scraps. Pasta, bread, fruit. Don't overdo it but they really enjoy the occasional treat.

[@violaduck]

Aloha! Quite informative, and I enjoy how you talk to your chickens and cat! Do you have a video about how to get a broody hen to stop brooding? Thanks!!!

[@victoryfarm]

If they are hatched by a hen then she will protect them. Sometimes you can even put newborn chicks under a broody hen and she will take care of them. I am a little confused by your question, though. Do you have your new coop set up yet? When you say your are getting chicks this weekend are you getting already hatched chicks or are you buying live chicks? If you're buying live chicks it's really best to set up a brooder.

[@victoryfarm]

@dw9559 We've never had a problem with cats and adults bird. They generally ignore each other. Though we do have to be very careful to keep cats away from the brooder! I don't expect it would end well if we didn't. The cat in the video was one of several cats dumped on our farm. She's one of the most friendly and delightful cats I've ever met and we're very glad to have been adopted by her. We tried to re-home her but she was back on the farm within hours following my son around like a puppy.

[@riellydavis9410]

I usually get chickens at tractor supply. This year I want to get silkie, rode island .how do I tell male from female? And how do I tell that the chicks are the right kind.

[@victoryfarm]

Except for sex link breeds (like red star) it's very hard to tell the difference between male and female. Usually they will have them separated at the store. Check out this clip: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jXXHnKmNaatgi7s

[@muleskinnerpro]

Can I mix chicks that are 2 to 3 weeks apart? I want a mixture of breeds but they won't be hatched at the same time. I don't have any other chickens. Great videos !

[@victoryfarm]

That's a good question that I can't answer with any authority. We've never tried that. My gut feeling says two or three weeks should be okay. It seems to work out fine when people buy a mix breeds from our local feed store and they have different hatch dates.

[@victoryfarm]

Your pullets can go right from the brooder to the coop at about 8 weeks old. There are some precautions you need to take, especially if you are introducing them to adults birds. I don't have any experience with earlier but I can tell you that much later is a very bad idea. We have a batch we are moving on Thursday (5/17/2012) and we're planning a new video on this subject. I'm hoping to have it up by the weekend.

[@victoryfarm]

We usually do a brood mid-October which means a move to the coop in Dec. We've done this for the last 4 years and have never had a problem with the cold. I do recommend slowly introducing your pullets to both temperature and lighting conditions in the brooder before moving them so the transition is the least shocking as is possible. Going from a warm heat lamp that's on 24/7 to a cold dark coop must be terrifying.

[@Antnelson13]

Do you recommend starting with chicks the first time you start chickens?

[@joycekain6519]

I am getting chicks next week and am wondering if I should give them grit. Also, is it wise to give them anything other than chick starter? People have written on other sites about giving them worms, bugs, sod.... Thanks for your videos! They are great!

[@victoryfarm]

I can't tell you the best thing to do, only what we do so here goes: We stopped giving our birds grit a long time ago. If they are free range they have what they need and if they only eat feed they don't need it. However calcium chips we find very important. Some say free range birds don't need it but for us it makes a big difference in the number of cracked eggs we collect. Worms and bugs: We don't do that but I don't see a problem if you want to. One thing to check carefully: if you're chicks are immunized for coccidiosis, a new-ish vaccine but now common, make sure you don't give them medicated feed. We made that mistake once and it went poorly.

[@joycekain6519]

victoryfarm Thank you! Yes, the chicks will be vaccinated and I've already purchased non-medicated feed. So since my chicks will not be free ranging for a while, I guess I should make grit available to them.

[@victoryfarm]

Yes, they will probably fly over the fence but they will come back at dusk. You will need to help them the first few days but then they put themselves to bed like clockwork. Chickens are wonderfully curious. They love to explore. Ours go about 200 or 300 feet away from our coops and they find fences irresistible. If this is a problem you might consider putting up poultry netting above your fences. Deer netting is cheaper but rips much more quickly.

[@thebunny9000]

Thanks. I have a fenced yard and i have very little daytime preditores, i live in PA btw!!!! Do you think a large run is a better choise. Can I at let them out over the weekend and watch them?

[@austinjones8462]

Ive had my 1st set of chickens for about 2 weeks now (5 broilers and 5 red rangers) don't have any older chickens. When is the soonest I can put them outside in the coop ?

[@ariesmama143]

Yes, thanks for the video! I guess I am going to have to rethink my brooder now...lol apparently having them in my moist greenhouse is no bueno. A question for you, my chicks are roughly 1 week old and the other two are now closer to 3 weeks old. Because I got them at a feed store, I'm really unsure of their true age. The older ones are in a separate space than the others, but I'm also curious when I can begin to introduce them to one another without risk of them killing the younger ones.

[@victoryfarm]

I'm not sure I can answer that question with any authority. The textbooks say to keep the temp at 95F. One thing that might help is surround your brooder with bricks that would absorb the heat during the day and release it at night. As to your coop -- my gut feeling says that 5 - 6 weeks should be long enough before letting them into your coop -- but that also really depends on your the nighttime temp. If you can a full 8 weeks that would be best.

[@thebunny9000]

Is bird netting, like the ones put over fruit trees, ok to put over the fenced in area? To keep them in?

[@KarenGoddard74]

Great info! I actually didnt know about having to put paper down the first few days. Do you put any kind of paper? Newspaper?

[@victoryfarm]

Any paper will do. We usually use newspaper.

[@nickbacklund5556]

Thanks for posting this! I have a question or two for you....what is your rule for Sq Ft per bird in the brooder house? Does the house need to be expanded as the chicks grow?

[@victoryfarm]

Our brooder is roughly 6' x 7' and we can raise up to 50 pullets in it. That's pretty much pushing the limit. 25 is more comfortable. No, we never expand it. They are smart enough to gather under the light when they are cold and having extra room lets them move around and not get to hot. Even at one day old they're fairly self-sufficient and long as conditions don't tax them too much.

[@victoryfarm]

What you heard was correct -- it's not just grass. It's bugs, dirt and who knows what. Best solution I can offer is to have a portable run that you can alternate on all four sides of the coop. Move it every month or two and the ground can recover. We have this on one of our coops. It's on the list for a video topic but we probably won't get to it for a month or two.

[@marlongonsalves3844]

Great video. I am setting up to raise broilers on a small scale for home use (about 15 birds per batch). I live in the tropics, getting our chick here require you going to the hatcher, they will tell you when the next batch of chick will be hatched and you book your chick for one of the available dates. Then you go and collect them personally, it has its ups and down, but at least you build a relationship with the hatchery and they are always willing to advise. I am hoping to raise some layers, we have mixed breed chickens hee that are very hardy, but the egg production is low, I was hoping to get about 3 to 4 road island chicken, but I wanted to know if they are hardy enough to be free range or do they need to be in a coop.

[@victoryfarm]

To the best of my knowledge all chickens need to be in a coop at night. They won't last long otherwise. You can free range any breed of chicken that I know of. The only breed related problems we've experienced with free ranging has been predation. It's our experience that heritage breeds like RIR and Araucana tend to be more predator savvy then hybrids.

[@victoryfarm]

Depending on where you live you can check local feed stores like Agway. They often have chicks in the spring. If that's not an option try Craig's list. You may need to search outside of your area and be willing to drive a bit (depending on where you live). If you are willing to start with 25 or more any online hatchery will ship them to you. We like Murray McMurray. Depending on your climate you may want to wait until spring. Good luck!

[@victoryfarm]

Your brooder should be big enough to have a warmer and cooler spaces. You can keep the heat lamp to one side for example. They will go to where they are most comfortable and you can use that to adjust the height of the heat lamp as well.

[@victoryfarm]

@morningbirdfeeder Don't worry -- you don't come across that way. We used to build roosts but learned the we find they generally don't roost up to the point we move them -- and in our experience waiting more than eight weeks can be really tragic.

[@therealeliteking1]

Where do you put your chickens in between the brooding stage and the coop stage? about how old will they graduate the brooder

[@chestnutlanestables4344]

hi! i am getting 3 chicks soon , because my school hatched them.......(but they did it well!) and i was wondering if instead of wood shavings could i use carefresh . my school is supplying everything else..... thanks :)

[@victoryfarm]

They were really labelled "brooder lights" at Lowes? That's kind of cool. Glad you found them.

[@KDOGG331]

Thinking of getting chicks this coming spring (either that or goats) but I'm not sure we have room for a huge brooder like that, plus I'm worried my dog will get to them, so would a smaller brooder, like say a Rubbermaid container or something, be fine? We wouldn't be getting a lot of birds, probably at most 10-15, probably even less than that. We've never had chickens before so I want to make sure everything goes right. Thanks

[@victoryfarm]

A rubbermaid container can work as long as you keep it dry. I have an article with some further details here: getstartedwithchickens.com/brooder/

[@KDOGG331]

I'll check out that link, thank you :)

[@deagleslayer]

I just had a question. I have some 3 week old Silkies and I live in Michigan with just going into winter will my chicks (who are in house now) be okay to move outdoors in 8 weeks? I do have other older birds but have found the silkies to be pretty good with the younger babies.

[@victoryfarm]

I can't answer authoritatively since I'm not familiar with Michigan weather but I would suspect it would be okay. The longer I do this the less I worry about cold. They seem to tolerate it very well and there is a good bit of lore that it was traditional never to close up a coop fully in the winter (though perhaps not in Michigan).

[@1977hayseed]

I have 6 chicks in a 100 gallon trough under a heat lamp can I keep them in the garage ? It still gets down in the 30's at night but I'm guessing 40's in side the garage. Will they stay warm enough with the heat lamp??

[@victoryfarm]

If you keep the light low enough, then yes. Just be careful not to make it too low. Watch them to see if they gather under it or avoid it. You want it somewhere in the middle.

[@1scottbird]

If we are raising the chicks indoors, do we need to turn on the light daily (to simulate the sunlight) or can they be under the red lights for the 8 weeks?

[@victoryfarm]

If there are no windows it might be good to have a white light on a timer. I've also found it useful to take the red lamp out during week 8 so they can get used to the dark. It seems to stress them less when they move to the coop. A new coop is stressful enough without experiencing dark for the first time.

[@snowballis2cute]

Should pullets be wormed? If so how often? Keep in mind these are Florida Pullets. alot of diverse parasites here!

[@thebunny9000]

I have one more question. If i were to put up a 5 ft fence and my chickens were well raised, do you think they would fly away. I mean their food and coop is there. Do you think they would leave?

[@victoryfarm]

Mixing birds that old can be dicey but since you only have two it might work out. The hard part will be getting the older birds you're bringing in to imprint their new coop as their home. I have never been able to do this, but usually I've tried introducing one or two into an existing flock of 20 or more. If you normally let them free range you may need to keep them confined for 5 days or more.

[@victoryfarm]

We've done 3 broods per year for the past 10 years. Usually 25 - 50 birds per brood. Only four have gone bad with maybe three others with minor loss. It doesn't often happen but it does happen and it's not hard to avoid. Simple steps like forgetting to turn off laying lights in the winter can be the difference between a successful introduction and hauling a wagon load of corpses across the field. We had no problems until year 6 when nature humbled me yet again.

[@carolcornwall1796]

We are picking up 100 chicks, how big should the circle be for that many?

[@maddisonevans734]

Im getting 3 laying chickens and we are picking them up from a store. And we are thinking about building something and putting it in the garage, we don't really have anywhere else to keep them other than that. So Is it a good idea to keep them in the garage for 8 weeks?

[@googIed]

I live in Saudi Arabia, right now in the late morning and throughout the afternoon it gets in the mid to higher 90s. I plan to hatch some turkey poults. We don't have heat lamps here, can I use a hot water bag to supplement any needed heat during the night? We have an unused bathroom that I thought of brooding them in. We have no adult animals, so how long must I brood them before releasing them to my Desert coop/run that I'll prepare for them?

[@fangproductions2326]

How can you tell if they are male or female? Also, do you know how to tell the difference between a male and female frizzles/sizzles chicks?

[@jc178946]

I just got a baby chick today at the feed store, I tried introducing it to my chicken that has five little chicks it went well until she figured out it wasn't hers so I had to separate the baby chick is there a way to keep the chick warm with out the light?

[@yusufomar4239]

Hellow ?

[@robertoler4795]

We add our orphans at night...they never figure it out...

[@Control_own_mind]

LittleLoverXD share your contact number

[@thebunny9000]

Do you think that if my chickens have a run, and not a whole yard, and I still bring them grass and hay after they eat and sratch up the orinal grass, Do you suggest me to get sod and role it out to them? I am asking this because I heard bugs really make a difference in the eggs. Please tell me what I can to if they have a run, NOT a tractor, what can i do!?!

[@kibalilyaj]

ok good to know. its out first time and were getting new 1 week old chicks soon i cant wait to have chickens!

[@Ear_Punch61]

I have 6 chicks that are about three weeks old. I live in idaho and it still gets pretty cold out at night. I was just wondering if I can put them in the coop overnight with the lamp instead of inside at night. Thanks

[@victoryfarm]

You need to be able to keep them at 95 degrees. If you can keep them warm enough it will be fine.

[@farhanmanzoor2039]

Your cardboard idea is fantastic

[@amjadkutbi9987]

good and helpful video I have two dogs and i got a group of four chickens last week dogs usually share anything that moves, my chickens are always hiding under trees problem is at night all 4 chickens are sleeping on top of the trees I live in a neighbor and fraud that they fly out of my place. 700 meter yard

[@victoryfarm]

Depends on your coop. If they will be spending most of their day in the run or on the range you can have a little as 2 sqft per bird. If they will always be in the coop 3 - 4 is best. Don't forget that roost space is equally important. You need about 1 foot per bird.

[@CluelessHomesteaders]

Thanks. New sub here. Have always bought pullets but getting ready to go to the next level.

[@gsxrgeorge00]

Predators are my concern. I keep my chicks (5 wks) indoors during the night because it gets in the 30s, and set up a pen outdoors for the day. How likely are they to become hawk or fox food during the day? The chicken yard is 50'x 25' so a roof is not possible. Any tips, or tricks would help.

[@brianmixon1133]

I have a Silkie chicken egg in my incubator. It will hatch Saturday March 22 I am excited but have never hatched out chickens. Any info on silkie chicks and do I have to use a coop or can I let them free roam when there about 8 weeks?

[@victoryfarm]

We've never done silkies so I can't offer any particular advice on them but you do need a coop or some time of close-able shelter that they can be secured in at night. Otherwise they won't survive for very long.

[@victoryfarm]

The rat question is too big to fit in a youtube comment. I answered it on our Victory Farm blog. I can't place a link here but it's at the end of the video description. Feed: We use Southern State feed because it's what we can get. I've also heard Purina is good. We choose "layer crumble" because we are so often introducing pullets into our coops but I have sometimes suspected that pellets or short pellets (shorties) might actually increase egg yield.

[@victoryfarm]

That's such a good question I put it on my list for video topics. Some books say a 5 foot fence will keep chickens in. They won't. Neither will 6. Maybe 8 foot. If you don't want them out you'll need a covered run. Problem with a covered run is that soon there's nothing for them to eat. Egg quality suffers. Remember chickens are forest birds. Grass is good but they prefer leaf litter and undergrowth. Don't watch them. If you plan on ranging plan on loosing a few and stock accordingly.

[@robertmuir4496]

Can I put little chicks in a unheated barn?I will have two heat lamps?Or should I have them in the house for a few weeks?We live in upstate NY and it's cold right now.

[@victoryfarm]

Really depends on the temp. We've done chicks in the barn with two heat lamps in December a bunch of times, but at that point it didn't really go below 30f. If you're expecting single digits like we are here in NJ my gut says they are too young right now. They need to be kept around 90f in the beginning. I think you should probably play it safe and go for the house.

[@victoryfarm]

I would suspect carefresh would probably work as long as they are at least a week old. Be sure to keep it dry. Raising your waterer to beak level will help with that.

[@thebunny9000]

i have one more question!, how old should chicks be to put them in their coop in the summertime??!!??

[@amjadkutbi9987]

will they get use to dogs later because I don't think I will see eggs if chickens are on top of trees. and I don't like to keep animals caged. and advise and thank for reading

[@chaoswarriorjorgensen749]

My chickens got used to the dog we have a blue healer and he loved them he always protected them to

[@jackstratton3322]

will i be able to raise buff orpington chicks in a brooder in my room without them smelling and will it be to warm with the lamp and the heat of my room

[@kibalilyaj]

do the chickens need specific medicine? and where could u find the medicine?

[@Mamawolf2000]

To be a bit more specific.... You'll note when a chicken goes "broody" their stomach/bottom area will be quite warm... My dad always took one of those hospital "wash pans" (or a dishpan will do) fill with cool water (not more than 6 inches deep), just deep enough to dunk chicken maybe an inch above their legs, and hold them there for 3 or 4 minutes. This will "cool" the broodyness out until next cycle. Works like a charm!

[@thebunny9000]

I have a question, 1 more!!! I have decided that I will get 3 reds, 2 barred rocks, 2 campines and 3 polish. I know that I need a little room for them, especially for the big polish hens! I am going to build a coop that is 9 ft X 5 ft, the to that I am going to construct a mobile tractor "run" that is 8 ft X 9 ft. Do you think that this is enough room? PLEASE REPLY!!! Thanks!

[@Taimur147]

I have 20 chicks almost 3 days old. I already have 9 months old chicken flock. What should i do? Should i merge chicks with the flock? or place them separately. Here in Islamabad (Pakistan) temperature is about 22'c and my chickens and chicks are on the top floor room. Room is covered and fully isolated. Should i still have to make light a night time for chicks?

[@cj597]

Taimur Shahzad your chicks still need heat day and night at least until they are 5 wks. I would wait a fortnight before integrating them. Please read the articles on backyard chickens for integration.

[@Taimur147]

charlie and what about 9 months old chickens.. will they kill the chicks?

[@Taimur147]

charlie i dont have any heat lamps. 2 of them died.

[@cj597]

Taimur Shahzad they need heat. You will have to buy a heat lamp or heat plate or DIY a mama heating pad, 22c is too cold, their growth will be severely stunted if they don’t all die. They should not be integrated for at least two weeks yet. You will need to make a smaller pen in your run and let the older ones get used to them, after two weeks, you can let them out.

[@Taimur147]

charlie thankyou so much for your help

[@awaisshah4603]

Can we use a gas heater for the chicks about 24 hours old?

[@slyryn6347]

one other question since I have a top part and a bottom part to our coop (top is dark and closed) (bottom is just fencing) will the straw in the top affect the chicks at all? ( there is a ramp up to the top)

[@hidogsonroblox]

You said 8 weeks so the other chickens don't kill them. If these are my first chickens, so there are no adults, does this still apply or is there a better age?

[@victoryfarm]

If there are no adults then you can move them sooner. I've never done it but six weeks I think would be fine. Maybe even four. It really depends on the climate and how much shock the move will put them under. If it's a big change I would still wait the full eight. A move is very stressful and I believe that the older the bird is the better they can tolerate it. Though I should note (for other readers) that you never want to wait too long after eight weeks because they do imprint on a home and moving them after that is a big challenge.

[@elliotphiri1806]

I already have about 300 rhode island reds, 150 have started laying eggs. However an opportunity to increase my flock has arisen as a friend is looking to sell another 200 x 8 month olds as their priorities have changed. Would you encourage the introduction of new stock to my current brood?

[@victoryfarm]

I've never tried to merge that size flock into another. In my experience introducing smaller numbers can go terribly bad. My worst experience was letting pullets stay in the brooder too long. It was a cold winter so I figured if I let them stay under the heat lamps for a couple of extra weeks and they would have a better chance. When I did move them the adult birds killed about 17 of the 40 birds in one night. The general wisdom I've been told is to never merge adults flocks but I've never tried it on that scale so I can't speak from experience. If I had to do it I would try to segment the coop perhaps and keep them isolated.

[@thebunny9000]

so even a small 5 foot fence that cover about 55 square feet that is un covered wont do!!! also I have a seperate question, i want a standard polish, but my feed store only sells bantams. Is there a difference in the apperence and egg production?

[@thebunny9000]

I want some polish ans silkis and barred rocks, plus some rhodes island reds. is this little mixture good together, will i get at least some eggs everyday, and will they gey along with each other. PLEASE REPLY. Thanks!!!!!

[@MsLorien17]

what if one of your hens has its own chicks do you do the same thing and take them away from the mother or do leave them with their mother

[@victoryfarm]

Reds lay about 5.7 eggs per week and Barred Rocks about 2.8 so if you have a handful of each you should get eggs every day. In your planning remember this is an average and it's lower in winter. Also plan on some predator loss if you're letting them range. Some places it can be over 50% per year. My reds and rocks get along fine. Silkies should be fine also. I've never had interbreed problem but trying to intermingle adult birds from different flocks can end badly.

[@1scottbird]

For chicks - does the heat lamp need to be red or is a white lamp OK? We just got Sussex chicks and this is our first night.

[@victoryfarm]

It really should be red. You could use a white heat lamp for warmth but the red also has the advantage that it help prevents pecking. If chickens sees blood on a bird they will peck them to death. Red light makes blood look black. It's also unhealthy to keep any animal under white light for 24 hours a day. It can cause sleep deprivation.

[@1scottbird]

I thought so. I went to Lowes and the red bulbs were 250w but the poultry bulbs were white and 125w. So, I am going out today to get the 250w. Great videos.

[@jenniferbraun7017]

I have some 7 week old Chocolate batam orpingtons and I am concerned for them. They are loosing there fur and getting feathers but they look sweaty. I am afraid their brooder got too moist what can I do?

[@victoryfarm]

Loosing their fur is common but that usually happens long before week 7so you may have a bad situation on your hands. I've never seen what you describe so I'm not exactly sure. My two recommendation are 1) Do try and dry out the brooder. They should be on clean dry bedding like wood shavings. There should be no moisture there. 2) Start doing some googling and specifically check out backyardchickens.com. They have a lot of good info there.

[@annettealvey5297]

I have baby chicks right now but want to get layer for this summer what do I do? the babies are in a brooder right now and the big ones will come in about a week. please help :)

[@kibalilyaj]

for starters should u start out with 4?

[@lasie55]

what do you do if they start to have breathing problems?

[@thebunny9000]

Ohhh ok! Well its hard for me because, I live were my backyard slopes and It would really be hard for me. Could I mabye just buy bugs, like worms and ladybugs and give it to them? please reply. You are a really great help!!!

[@stewartj2562]

changed mine about chicks[forgot about roosters],thought of using automatic foundation vents[open and close with temperature],could i put new chicks from my supplier in the new coopmaking card board sorround [always heard dont have corners]thinking of separate tactor coop with detachable runs to ease moving[plan on 18 to 20 birds per coop going to angle off inside of coop so no sharp corners to get into

[@Metal8Lover]

Yeah that sounds best just remember everything loves chicken make sure that the vents have a smaller gauge wire on the inside so the air can move in but snakes and rats can't.

[@victoryfarm]

@Mrkaan110 We don't sell adult birds and they can be very hard to find. Your best bet is Craig's list. Prices vary. Around here Red's run in the mid to upper teens but I've paid as low as eight. Silkies I think would run higher. If you live near a hatchery some do sell pullets but you have to pick them up.

[@slyryn6347]

so if it feels like its getting to hot can you turn the lamp off. if you can how long should it be off?