what age do you put your chicks outside

" They will need some protection from the older birds until the older ones are used to their new coopmates. A wire dog crate works well for this, so long as they can't slip through the bars."

This is my problem. My girls came with a 4 by 4 house that they sleep in- and the house is attached to a 20 x 20 "run" (the chain link). I can keep the chicks in a dog crate in the run to get them all used to each other but then at night Id have to bring them back indoors since the actual coop isn't big enough for the crate plus the girls (I suppose technically it is but I don't have the ability to get the crate into the coop easily). It is on the ground and my knees don't cooperate to allow me that low. So I could put them out during the day when it is decent but would still need to bring them in at night. I thought about getting a rabbit hutch type shelter and putting it on the opposite side of the run and then moving two of my more docile hens in with the chicks and hope they all go in the hutch and close it up so the chicks cant leave but will the older girls be ok with that switch? How easily do they switch houses/roosts? Thank you for your help. I am slowly convincing myself adopting the adults from the shelter is a much better idea than chicks.

Your plan of having them out during the day and bringing them inside in the evenings should work, I've used it before.
Adopting from a shelter is great, but there is nothing like having chicks. I try (though my hens don't always cooperate) to always do chicks in the spring, giving me plenty of time to get them outside before it gets cold. I have a broody hen right now and I don't even try to break their broodiness anymore. It's getting cold and she will be getting eggs to hatch.

Wow been a while since anyone haseen posted finally got my chicks in from Murray McMurray hatchery (30 red sex links) and I haven't fed them anything medicated. Is it gonna hurt to spring medicated food on to them I've had them about 2 weeks.

carolinahogger said:

Wow been a while since anyone haseen posted finally got my chicks in from Murray McMurray hatchery (30 red sex links) and I haven't fed them anything medicated. Is it gonna hurt to spring medicated food on to them I've had them about 2 weeks.

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If they made it two weeks without signs of coccidiosis, don't bother - more harm than good, IMO. The antibiotic resistance/superbug epidemic the world is facing right now is largely due to overuse of antibiotics as preventive care in livestock! Please don't do it

Thank you phoenixxx i didn't think it would have been necessary

I fed my 3 hens medicated feed until the first bag was empty then switched to regular chick layer crumbles.Keeping the coop clean-get that yucky poop out as quick and often as possible ,always provide clean water everyday.Once a week I wash the water dispenser with soap and hot water.I also add a few drops of apple cider vinegar to their water.One year later my chicks are happy healthy hens and give me beautiful eggs daily.

Chicks starting in appliance box brooder in garage (chickie NICU) with MHP until they are eating and using MHP without getting "lost". Then, they take MHP and go to their outdoor coop, any where from 48 hours to 1 week old. They are let out into the grow out run any time the weather is above 40*. by the time they are 2 weeks old, they are flitting around their 4 x 8 loft coop and the 8 x 8 run like a bunch of parakeets. They get integrated into the big flock between 3 and 8 weeks old. They wean themselves off MHP by the time they are 4 weeks old, with temps going down into 40's to 30's at night.