2-3 weeks roosting already???

[NewYorkMama]

Hi. I have 6 chicks ranging in age from 2.5 - 4 weeks. The last couple of nights they’ve all gone to sleep on their roosting bar instead of under the warmer. This seems super early to me, but it’s been a couple of years since I’ve had chicks. The oldest ones have lots of feathers but my youngest one is still mostly fluff and she’s up there with them! Will they just move themselves back under the warmer if they get chilly?

 

[nuthatched]

My 10 day old are roosting, instincts are strong.

 

[BastyPutt]

My 10 day old are roosting, instincts are strong.

Agreed. If nothing else, a chick is very good at utilizing the brooder for their comfort in terms of heat. As long as they have the room and resources to do so.

 

[NewYorkMama]

Agreed. If nothing else, a chick is very good at utilizing the brooder for their comfort in terms of heat. As long as they have the room and resources to do so.

I wish they had more room… I let them out to run around the floor every day just to get some exercise. They’re like toddlers.

But I think they’re okey for now. Here’s a pic:

 

[BastyPutt]

I wish they had more room… I let them out to run around the floor every day just to get some exercise. They’re like toddlers.

But I think they’re okey for now. Here’s a pic:

View attachment 3493465

Thanks for sharing!

Now - this is totally my opinion - but I have always felt like the chicks feel more secure in something closed off opposed to an open kennel. I have absolutely zero evidence to base that off, but I assume if your space is quiet and low key it may have the exact opposite effect. In our house, with 5 kids under 12 - they'd be dropping dead of heart attacks from the craziness that goes on here

Either way, thank you again for sharing!

 

[Tahai]

It looks like your plate brooder needs to be raised up. Maybe it's too low for her now? By 3 weeks, mine was almost all the way to the top click.

 

[Chipmunk Chicks]

Thanks for sharing!

Now - this is totally my opinion - but I have always felt like the chicks feel more secure in something closed off opposed to an open kennel. I have absolutely zero evidence to base that off, but I assume if your space is quiet and low key it may have the exact opposite effect. In our house, with 5 kids under 12 - they'd be dropping dead of heart attacks from the craziness that goes on here

Either way, thank you again for sharing!

Lol Our chicks are in a crate as well, but under a table, and I have 8-10" of cardboard wrapped around the base to keep the bedding and warmth in. The toddlers have limited access to the chicks. We like to keep a lid on the crazy for them lol

 

[NewYorkMama]

It looks like your plate brooder needs to be raised up. Maybe it's too low for her now? By 3 weeks, mine was almost all the way to the top click.

Thank you! This is only my 3rd time raising chicks over the last 6 years and I’d forgotten to move the brooder up. I did so and while they all started the evening out on the roost, when I went to bed they were all under the brooder!

 

[NewYorkMama]

Thanks for sharing!

Now - this is totally my opinion - but I have always felt like the chicks feel more secure in something closed off opposed to an open kennel. I have absolutely zero evidence to base that off, but I assume if your space is quiet and low key it may have the exact opposite effect. In our house, with 5 kids under 12 - they'd be dropping dead of heart attacks from the craziness that goes on here

Either way, thank you again for sharing!

Thank you! And to be honest… I’ve only done this 3 times over the last 6 years. I’ve always started all the chicks off in a great big clear bin for several weeks but this is the most chicks I’ve had at one time (six) and they outgrew the bin in like 1.5 weeks! I always end up moving the chicks into this dog crate once they’re lanky teenagers but these 6 were so active and messy I really felt they needed more space. Particularly because of their mix in ages I think the older ones were just going stir crazy.

It’s pretty loud and busy in my house but I always felt the chicks benefitted from all the action — maybe makes them more part of the family and people oriented? And less scared of the dog as adults. But also, this is just anecdotal evidence! I didn’t think about the possibility of not feeling secure in an open crate… maybe I should try to close off the bottom with cardboard - that would certainly help with the mess and give them more security.

It’s still quite cold up here at night so I can’t move them outside yet… it’s gonna be a long and messy next few weeks!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I have 6 chicks ranging in age from 2.5 - 4 weeks. The last couple of nights they’ve all gone to sleep on their roosting bar instead of under the warmer.

From your photo you are brooding inside your house? Is the temperature steady? What is that temperature? When they spent two nights on that roost instead of under the heat, they did not fall over dead. They are apparently not in any danger as long as the temperature remains constant. If you want to provide heat, nothing wrong with that. In your case they are actually using it after you raised that plate. But it is obviously not a need.

In the heat of summer, I've had a broody hen take 2-week-old chicks to the roost. Not all of them slept under her. They can handle sleeping in the roosts at that age. My overnight lows when she did that was in the upper 70's Fahrenheit so they could handle them. Chicks are more resilient than many of us give them credit.

Many of my brooder raised chicks don't start roosting at night until they are 10 to 12 weeks old. They will play on the perches during the day, including some perches in the brooder, so they can get up there but they just don't bother. But others do on their own quite a bit younger. Each brood is different.