8-10 week old chicks

[enrgizerbunny]

Three are some chicks for sale on CL of a breed I want. I have two hens I bought as pullets (3rd got eaten by a fox). My question is when are they big enough to go outside and how should I care for them until then? Haven't purchased them yet.

 

[AlvarezAcres]

I usually do 4 weeks in a brooder, then provide a heat lamp until they are fully feathered out, usually about 6-8 weeks depending on the ambient temperature

 

[enrgizerbunny]

I usually do 4 weeks in a brooder, then provide a heat lamp until they are fully feathered out, usually about 6-8 weeks depending on the ambient temperature

And then they're let loose in the yard?

 

[rosemarythyme]

8 weeks old is plenty old enough to be outside unless you're located somewhere where it's cold right now. You will want to keep them quarantined from your existing chickens though, due to size difference and biosecurity concerns.

 

[enrgizerbunny]

Okay how could I keep them quarantined? My coop is setup for adult chickens' sleeping quarters and laying boxes. Should I setup temporary, separate shelter until they're roughly the same size, or just keep them indoors until then? It's nice and hot right now in Virginia so heat is no concern.

 

[enrgizerbunny]

How would I keep them separate? My coop is not really built for quarantine, maybe setup temporary shelter and enclosed run for them?

 

[AlvarezAcres]

We have a pallet wood "box" with hardware cloth we call the "peeper palace". At first the chicks can be seen by the adults but not attacked. After a week we start doing supervised mixing, where we lift a flap of hardware cloth. the slats in the box are still close enough the peepers can come and go but the big girls can't get it. We do supervised visits at first, then when we feel confident about things we leave the flap open. We keep them in the palace until they are big enough to hold their own.
We are still new to this, but this really worked for us.

 

[azygous]

How old were the pullets when you got them? I take it you have no experience with chicks at all.

Basically, by the time chicks reach the age of the ones you are planning on buying off CL, cold and heat requirements are no longer issues. By age 10 weeks, chicks are around 85% of their ultimate size, nearly grown. However, they will have an instinctive fear of adult chickens. Your two adult hens will pick up on this and exploit it.

Therefore, your concerns will be to provide safety and security for the new chicks while they integrate into the flock. @AlvarezAcres has mentioned how they handle it. The objective is to get everyone used to one another without the newcomers getting physically thrashed and their self confidence ruined. At the very worst, they may be driven from food and water and will suffer nutritional harm.

I wrote an article for BYC about how I integrate new chickens into my flock. It's linked below. After the first night everyone sleeps together in the coop, while they have a safe pen during the day. For juveniles still smaller than the adults, you will need to establish a safe feeding and watering station for them after the initial integration. I use a card table in the run for this purpose. Elevating these essentials gives the newcomers a resting place the adults aren't interested in.

As far as quarantine goes, it does nothing to prevent the spread of serious avian viruses. Chicks and adults can be carriers yet show no symptoms. Far better than quarantine is to make sure the poultry you plan to buy comes from a NPIP certified source. However, buying off Craig's List opens up the possibility that the chicks have been exposed to one of these viruses since the time they came from the original source. Not intending to scare you, but you should be aware of the inherent danger.

 

[enrgizerbunny]

Correct in the evaluation of my experience with chicks. I'm really trying to find out if this is something I can do feasibly or would be better off shopping around for adults.

I bought 3 pullets that are golden comets last March. One was lost to predation a couple months ago, so I'd like to boost my numbers up to 4-5.

 

[lazy gardener]

You have nothing to fear as far as age goes. Those birds are of an age that they should integrate well into your current flock as long as you can provide them plenty of room. (minimum of 4 s.f. in coop and 10 s.f. in run per bird) YOu will have pecking order issues, but IMO, they will be less worrisome with younsters than with older birds. Chief concern IMO is concern as mentioned by Azygous about bringing disease into your flock.