Raising chicks: Week 5
If you purchased chicks at our Chick Days event, your chicks should be five weeks old now.
Temp: 75 degrees - to make it cooler in your brooder, raise the lights. If you find that your chicks are all gathered under the light, they are too cold. If they avoid the light, they are too hot. Adjust based on their behavior.
Feed: Start & Grow Medicated or Non-Medicated - because they are babies, you can free feed them. Fill up their feeders when they are empty. They won't overeat.
This week: Time to start thinking about moving your chicks outside.
During the hottest part of the day, your chicks can be introduced to their coop outside. Make sure you keep an eye on them, since they haven't been in a large open area before. If you want to put them in their coop permanently, make sure the coop is secure from predators. At night time it's still about 40-50 degrees, so make sure they have a heat lamp to keep them warm. These chicks (pictured) are not fully feathered. Their heads and necks still have baby feathers/fuzz. Once your chicks are fully feathered, you wouldn't need a heat lamp. Their feathers do a great job keeping them warm.
Helpful hints:
Your chicks are still in that awkward teenage time of their lives.
This is a great time to see what color your chicks are going to be. They are getting more primary feathers - feathers that will show their true colors.
If your chicks are outside and milling around when the sun goes down, they may be able to stay outside. If the sun is setting and they are huddled together, they aren't ready. Use the clues they give you. Still concerned? Give us a call. 575-523-8790.
Extra help: Horse N Hound Pinterest We have a great blog and some really interesting coops on our Pinterest. Check them out for ideas. Each coop is like a person's house. It's built for what you need, based on how much you can afford and how many people/chicks live in it. If you want to build your own, there are some great plans available. If you want to buy one, stop by the store and we can show you what we can order for you. But do a lot of research so that when you invest your time and money into it, it's what you need.