Need help! Chicks about ready to go outside!!!

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nharbison0722

nharbison0722

Chirping
May 26, 2016
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Hi everyone! My 6 chicks just turned 4 weeks old. I finally finished the coop and run for the girls, and I'm wondering about putting them outside now. It's in the upper 90's during the day and mid to low 70's at night. I just found out that I have to have shoulder surgery on Tuesday of this coming week, so I'm trying to get them out of the house and into their coop before then. I have a few questions:

1) do they need to be acclimated to the outside temps or just do it all at once? They have plenty of shade, and I'll post pics down below
2) do I put them in their coop myself at night or just allow them access to it? I didn't know if they needed to be kept in the coop overnight or if they could just do as they please.
3) any special ideas to make the transition easier? They've been in my bedroom in a kennel wrapped in wire mesh since the day I got them. They were two days old. They are now down to a heat lamp temp of 86 only if they sit in front of it, which they rarely do.

ANY advice is greatly appreciated, I know I've asked some of these questions before, but I'm just so nervous to make a mistake and one of them pays the price for it. I want to do everything right for them!!
Thanks again!
 
If your new coop has good ventilation (get a thermometer to monitor coop) I would put them in coop with food and water. They don't need a lamp for heat, but a very low wattage, like child's night light would make it easier for you to check on them. I would put the dog crate out there for at least a couple weeks, too. Monitor and in a couple days at two hours before sunset, let them out in the run. Keep doing this and always make sure all are in coop at night before shutting up.

We are acclimating fourteen fbcm to big coop. They were raised in washtub in house. At three weeks they went out on grass during day and back in house at night. After another week I propped edge of outside pen up so chicks could come and go, but big birds can't get in to bully or eat feed. Still bringing them in at night and back out for daytime. Now they are five weeks old and tub moved to big coop. Same routine, out to pen in morning and back to coop at night.
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Donna R Raybon said:
If your new coop has good ventilation (get a thermometer to monitor coop) I would put them in coop with food and water. They don't need a lamp for heat, but a very low wattage, like child's night light would make it easier for you to check on them. I would put the dog crate out there for at least a couple weeks, too. Monitor and in a couple days at two hours before sunset, let them out in the run. Keep doing this and always make sure all are in coop at night before shutting up.

We are acclimating fourteen fbcm to big coop. They were raised in washtub in house. At three weeks they went out on grass during day and back in house at night. After another week I propped edge of outside pen up so chicks could come and go, but big birds can't get in to bully or eat feed. Still bringing them in at night and back out for daytime. Now they are five weeks old and tub moved to big coop. Same routine, out to pen in morning and back to coop at night.
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Thanks for the great advice! My kennel won't fit into the coop, but it will fit into the run. (It's a HUGE kennel) I'll try taking them out as you said, and leave the kennel in the run as well. I'm trying to get all of this done before Tuesday as I am having surgery rather urgently and won't be able to do too much afterwards. Thanks again for your help,and additional tips or tricks are welcomed!!!
 
nharbison0722 said:
Hi everyone! My 6 chicks just turned 4 weeks old. I finally finished the coop and run for the girls, and I'm wondering about putting them outside now. It's in the upper 90's during the day and mid to low 70's at night. I just found out that I have to have shoulder surgery on Tuesday of this coming week, so I'm trying to get them out of the house and into their coop before then. I have a few questions:

1) do they need to be acclimated to the outside temps or just do it all at once? They have plenty of shade, and I'll post pics down below
2) do I put them in their coop myself at night or just allow them access to it? I didn't know if they needed to be kept in the coop overnight or if they could just do as they please.
3) any special ideas to make the transition easier? They've been in my bedroom in a kennel wrapped in wire mesh since the day I got them. They were two days old. They are now down to a heat lamp temp of 86 only if they sit in front of it, which they rarely do.

ANY advice is greatly appreciated, I know I've asked some of these questions before, but I'm just so nervous to make a mistake and one of them pays the price for it. I want to do everything right for them!!
Thanks again!
Click to expand...

I can't tell where you are from so don't know your temps, but at four weeks old the chicks should be fine. We recently put 14 three week olds out. There were enough of them to cuddle for warmth and they were flying out of the brooder and around the garage We turned off their heat lamp a few days before and put them in the coop which opens to a run. We kept them in for a day then opened the door to the run. They were fine going out but for three days we had to put them back in the coop by hand. The first night I had to pick them all up. The second night about half went in and the third night most made it up. After that they all did.
 
dekel18042 said:
   I can't tell where you are from so don't know your temps, but at four weeks old the chicks should be fine.  We recently put 14 three week olds out.  There were enough of them to cuddle for warmth and they were flying out of the brooder and around the garage  We turned off their heat lamp a few days before and put them in the coop which opens to a run.  We kept them in for a day then opened the door to the run.  They were fine going out but for three days we had to put them back in the coop by hand.  The first night I had to pick them all up.  The second night about half went in and the third night most made it up. After that they all did.
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I'm in Texas- so it EXTREMELY HOT here and I was worried about them getting too hot. Our high temps have been in the upper 90's and lows in the mid to lower 70's
 
nharbison0722 said:
I'm in Texas- so it EXTREMELY HOT here and I was worried about them getting too hot. Our high temps have been in the upper 90's and lows in the mid to lower 70's
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We're nowhere near that hot in PA (but have been other years). I would say as long as they have shade and water they should be fine.
I have a cousin in Texas new to chickens and with the heat she is raising them without a heat lamp. So far so good.
 
Chickens are creatures of habit. Establish the habit, reward with food, and the sky is the limit. And when you change something? Prepare to be roundly dissed. It is a good idea to have more than one water source available in the heat, too.
 
Hi , I've got 13 4 week old Jersey Giants still in their brooder in the big barn and getting ready to move them in with the big girls in the chicken coop. Just finished getting the rest of my eggs and putting a new batch in the incubator. So it is time for Big Barny to take a vacation in the rooster barn and the babies to go in with the hens. like the idea of the wire on blocks what did you use as panels? Thanks from the Canadian East
 
Hi nharbison, I put my chicks out at 4 wks, and we have had highs in 90's, lows in 70's. I gave them no additional heat or light. They've been fine, and now it's 2 weeks later. I come into the pen several times a day and sit with them since I raised them from day 1 and they imprinted on me. They like to sit in my lap especially at bedtime. I do make sure I'm there as the sun sets. As of 3 days ago they have started hopping off my lap and going into their coop all by themselves! Also they went in by themselves when it rained yesterday! I am very proud of them.
 
Hi SueT!
Awesome! Thanks for sharing that with me, I really appreciate it and it makes me feel better about putting them outside. Yes, mine are the same way with me- they come and sit in my lap when I open the door to their brooder which is a big dog kennel wrapped in hardware cloth. My favorite- Lucy- went on a trip with me outside the other day to check things out. She stayed right on my shoulder and didn't want to get down! Hopefully mine will take to the outside as well as yours did and do well. I'm really hoping that my coop is big enough for 8-10 chicks! (At least to sleep in!)
Thanks again!
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