Our mixed bread "Gracie" inspecting the chicks. Telling them she's the boss, lol...
Tip: If you have a dog(s), get them use to being around the babies from the start. If you don't you may have a bad situation on your hands.
When to stop using heat source for your chicks?
Now that it's been several weeks since you received you little chicks, it's time to change there living situation. Once your little fuzzies have feathered out, which is around 6 weeks old, it's time to acclimate them from there heat source. Acclimating your chicks from the heat lamp does not solely depend on age but feathering as well.
Feathered out means the chicks down and they have grown real feathers, which allow them to regulate their body temperatures.
Note: Not all breeds fully feather out at the same age.
Ideally, chicks will not require a heat source when moving from brooder to coop, but I suggest to acclimate them a few days before moving them to their permanent coop. If the temperatures outside remain above 65°F and the chicks are at least 6-8 weeks old. Also, removing supplemental heat for your chicks will also depend on the time of year you are raising your chicks. If your temps are fluctuating a lot, your chicks will need supplemental hear for longer, it all depends on season and temps.
Once your growing chickens have become familiar to their new living area, they should be actively exploring, eating and content. If you end up seeing them huddled together and noisy, they are probably cold, and still need a heat source. If you don't have electricity to the coop, where heat can be safely supplied, moving your chicks should wait until outside temps are more accommodating.
Coop Considerations and Possible Predators.
Is it predator proof?
Predators are every where, even in the city.
Skunks, opossums, foxes, bobcats, snakes, hawks and sometimes domesticate pets can be a predator to your flock. These predators not only go after your chickens eggs, but the chickens themselves if they are desperate. Predators are more active dusk and dawn, up into the late hours of night when your chickens are asleep and most vulnerable. Keep your flock locked up at night, don't allow chickens to free range until they are coop trained.
Having a protected and secure coop is a must. Protecting from predators and keeping your flock from escaping the coop is a priority, hardware cloth is a must and you can go as far as installing an electric fence. When looking into hardware cloth to keep these predators out, don't get the plastic or flimsy metal wire, use a small 1/4th inch hardware cloth from the start, around the run and coop leaving no space for opportunity.
Deter Digging predators it is recommended digging at least a 12" trench all the way around the perimeter of the coop, during the hardware cloth. And dirt floors should have hardware cloth buried 12" beneath them. Now this was not possible for us because we have a thick layer of soap/lime stone under the coop, it was hard in itself to dig holes for the posts for the structure of the coop. If this is not an option you can try an alternative by extending a 12" hardware cloth apron out from the perimeter of the run. The apron approach is not as effective but will provide a degree of security in some digging critters.
If you have a run attached to your coop, having the run roof covered with hardware cloth may give you some piece of mind and maximum security from flying predators. As well as keep your chickens from flying out.
Make sure you have a lock on all your doors that have multiple steps to unlatch, making it more secure for your flock. Some critters like raccoons are cleaver and are able to unlatch simple hook-n-eye lock latches. I like the self locking fence gate latches for all my coop doors.
Another option is to have a well trained farm dog, one that will not harm your flock but protect them. A few good protective breeds for livestock to consider are the Great Pyrenees, German Shepard, Anatolian Shepard, Komodor.
If a guard dog is not an option, placing an electric fence around the perimeter may be an options to look in to.
And if you feel like your flock is being targeted by predators or just curious what's is is not lurking around the coop, setting up a game camera can help to determine what is upsetting your hens.
Additional predator detents that I've used have been the red, blinking/motion-activated sensors lights, the ones that look like eyes. They are great garden pest deterrents as well.
Wish you the best with keeping pesky predators away!
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