Can 5 week old chicks go from garage to coop?

[DS17]

I will be adding 5 week old EE to my current flock. The EE have been raised in a garage. Can I put them out in the coop, seperated of course? They have feathered out. The lows here right now range from 35-47 degrees. Also, my current flock ranges in age from 30/35 weeks that free range, only in coop at night. About what age should the new ones be before joining the current flock?
Thank you for your help!!

 

[biteme2134]

I just did this - It's a little warmer here, but the general consensus was to wait until around 8-10 weeks to incorporate. So if they can stand the temps I'd say now is a good time to let them get to know each other before integrating.

 

[CGilbert]

I'm in Northern Idaho and did this regularly over the summer. Once my chicks hit 1 month, they went to an intermediate coop that had a heat lamp inside (it was a small converted dog house). They all seemed to do good, but nights were only getting down to about the mid 50's, some lower, some higher.
Right now, I have my 5 week old Red Dorkings in a small coop in our garage. We have it heated to 60 degrees during this time of year (hunting and trapping reasons). But they're doing fine out there.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Probably. How well is the area they will be in protected from breezes? Does it have good ventilation? Are there enough that they can huddle for warmth? How cool has your garage been where they are?

I’ve had chicks that age go through temperatures like that but they were raised in a big brooder in the coop with one end heated and where one end really cooled off so they were acclimated to cooler temps. There were at least a dozen of them with good breeze protection and good ventilation up high. Yours will probably be OK in those temperatures if conditions are right but a few more days probably won’t hurt anything.

When can you integrate them with the older chickens? With your chickens free ranging, pretty soon. Since my brooder is in the coop they chickens get to know each other really well before I let them go. I have two different answers for you on age.

If I move them to the grow-out coop and run, I let them out as soon as they are going to bed in that coop instead of trying to sleep in the run. That’s normally about 8 weeks old.

If they stay in the main coop instead of going to the grow-out coop, I generally let them mix at 5 weeks. They’ve been next to each other since hatch and I have lots of room.

Yours will need to stay locked in the main coop for at least a week, maybe a bit more. That gives the chickens time to get to know each other plus for the chicks to learn that the coop is home so they’ll go back there at night.

There are a few tricks to help the process go easier. You already have the main one, lots of room. That makes all the difference. Set up different feeding and watering stations so the chicks don’t have to challenge the older birds to eat or drink.

A safe haven in the coop is good for when they wake up. That can be their pen if the door is too small for the adults to use but the chicks can get through it. Roosts high enough for the chicks to fly up there when the adults are on the floor help. A few things to hide behind or under can help them get out of line of sight.

For the first few mornings be down there pretty early to let them out instead of keeping them locked up after they wake up. You should soon get a feel for when it is safe to not have to worry about that.