Moving chicks to coop questions!!

4x4Runner said:

I haven't had chicks for awhile and I feel like I have forgotten what to do in regards to taking them out to the coop. I feel like I waited till they were 8 or 10 weeks old but I can't remember... I have 9 baby chicks that will be 5 weeks old on March 1st and I was thinking of moving them to the coop with no heat lamp. We live in San Diego so its been in the high 40's at night and 70's in the daytime. Do you think they would be ok? We have 1 hen and everyone has been getting along ok. She will peck them here and there but not too aggressively. I was thinking of putting the heat lamp into the coop for just at night but it sort of worries me.

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azygous said:

You can move the chicks now. Much of the rest of the country wishes for such a mild climate. At five weeks, if you've been weaning the chicks off heat, they no longer need a heat source.

Gradually backing off the heat, starting the first week, encourages feather growth, and by five weeks, chicks should be fully feathered. This is one reason it's so darned important not to overdo the heat in a brooder. By three weeks, chicks should no longer require heat during the day when ambient temps are between 55 and 70F.

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4x4Runner said:

By day 3 no heat! Maybe my next batch I will try that. Last night was super cold so I chickened out and kept them inside with the heat lamp. It was cold enough to semi freeze the water outside. I'm going to try and grow a pair and put them outside.

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lutherpug said:

3 weeks They need heat at 3 days.

Are your 5 week olds still offered heat 100% of the time? If so you may need to acclimate over several days or maybe a week but you should absolutely be able to get them outside at 5 weeks. The next batch of chicks we have will not be brooded in the house, they'll go into the coop on day 1. 

There are other heat sources you can use besides a heat lamp...

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