baby chicks trying to fly?

[Cotton42]

Ours are 3.5 weeks and are getting up to their brooder walls 3+foot. They are in the garage but I'm afraid if they get out they won't be able to get back in and it still gets a little nippy at night outside of the brooder. It's really only one or 2 that are that brave which makes it worse because if they get stuck out of the brooder, I don't know how they would keep warm

I can understand that. Our brooder is only about a foot high, so it's not a big deal when they get out 'cause they can very easily get back in. Maybe you could put something next to the brooder that they can use to jump on to get back in? That way you could worry less.

 

[dulcimer lady]

Yeah, if you don't want them out of the brooder you want to get it covered. They can move higher and farther than one would think even at a very young age.

 

[Leavingegypt]

Mine are 2.5 weeks old and roosting ontop of the feeder is routine now. At a week old I put a plastic netting on top of the bin/brooder. Also the "Queen" of the group is always on the feeder, although all are capable of roosting there- it is her throne.

 

[chikenscratch]

Ours are 4 weeks old and have been flapping around and perching on the feeder for a while now, but only 3 days ago did they fly out. It was lucky that we finished the coop the next day

. The babies are still adjusting to their new home, but have plenty of room and space to fly!

 

[CKNNWBEE]

Can't tell you how old they are without looking at them, or at pictures of them. But chicks will want to start to fly within a week. They get better at it as each day goes along. Three week old chicks can easily flap themselves "in flight" out of most brooders with walls less than 3 feet tall. They often get onto their feeders or waterers as a launching point to jump to the edges of brooder bins.

Perfectly normal behavior.

Ours are 2 weeks old and I actually thought ours hated their brooder and playpen cause they keep flying around! We have covered the brooder with screen for their safety, but today one was using me as a jump. She would walk up my arm and then jump/fly. Do they continue as they age, or do they get too heavy.

 

[jendodd79]

Ours are 2 weeks and 2.5 weeks and they are definitely getting some air!