Chook Me!

when can i put my baby chicks out in the hen house?

i have 21 baby chicks,i have had them inside since easter..when can i put them out in the hen house..would i still have to use a heat lamp on them as well? will my two roosters kill them/ the roosters have been out there for a while now..or should i keep them seperated for a week or so?thanks for your replys..johnny

Public Comments

1. You are suppose to keep them separated til they are quite bigger. Trust me, i raised and hatched many chicks. I wouldn't put them out to soon unless it is fairly warm. I think its like a month to early. You are at risk of snakes, oppossums, esspecially to little chicks seemings snakes can get in small places.
2. DON'T put them out with the other chickens until they are at least five months old nd about the same size! The roosters and chicken will peck at them and probably kill them, especially if they don't have a mother hen. When you do introduce them, put them in a wire dog cage/kennel for a few hours with some food/water so the other chickens can get used to the sight of them. They may fight with each other through the cage, but they shouldn't be able to seriously hurt themselves, and they'll establish a pecking order so they can get along. After the other chickens are used to the newcomers, through out a mulch bucket or some greens or other treats and when the chickens are busy eating, let the new chickens out so they can blend with the crowd.
3. it's spring so it isn't warm enough if they don't have their pin feathers grown out yet. What happens is they will pile and the ones on the bottom will get crushed and die. If they are quite young, amazingly, mosquitos will bite them until they die. I found out the hard way that they need to have their cages covered in mesh if they are young. Separate the birds according to age until they are almost adults. The roosters will pick on them and kill them if you do not. If you add a lot of new birds to a cage, they won't kill each other, but if you add one or two, boy those guys will be dead. Birds can be horrid, especially chuckers. but okay, we are talking about chickens. :) You got these little fellas two weeks ago? When they get bigger, you'll have to separate them into more cages. Eventually you won't have to have the light on all day for them. You won't use the light at all, but they will still be inside. After this point, you can take them outside. However, if they start to pile when you check on them in the evening, they aren't ready.
4. Well, they are to stay inside until there 2 months old. When there that age, they can be moved to a pen beside the other chickens you have. When they reach 4 months old then they can be put together with other chickens. Make sure that you dont hav other roos, they will kill them and kill one another for females. Sometimes though they grow up toghether they will fight every once in a while. 1.) When they are 2 months old they do not need a heat lamp any longer. When outside they will not need it. 2.) Most likely, roos will kill another roo if they do not know the other roo. If the chicks are hens then they will not hurt them except mate when 5 months or older. 3.) Yes seperater them until there 4 months old thats when they can take care of themselves. Keep them in cage next to them so they will get use to one another.