Can I put them out in the coop?

[heronz]

My chicks are 4 and a half weeks old now.
They make my house smelly and dusty.
On top of that they have now taken up dumping water as a hobby.
I live in New England.
Can we put them out in the coop now with heat lamps?

 

[Happy Chooks]

What are the day and night temps in your area?
How feathered in are they?

 

[heronz]

Pretty well feathered the roo babies a little less.
Next 5 nights are supposed to be in the 40"s

 

[Buff-Island-Australorp]

Heat lamp? CHECK. Food? CHECK. Water? CHECK. Enclosed coop with no drafts? CHECK. Bedding? CHECK.
Put them in the coop. Don't give them full access to the entire coop yet, if it's a larger one. Partition off a portion of it, put the food/water/bedding/heat source in there, and let em have it. Chickens don't belong in your house!!

 

[Noymira]

Quote:
I agree totally! Do you have older pullets/hens already in the coop? I would make a separate area for your little ones if you do, they should be 12-16 weeks old, or about the same size as the others, before you integrate them.

 

[heronz]

Don't have to worry about integrating.
They are my future group.
Various wyandottes.
They are closed into one third of the coop.
Coop is 8 by 12.
Just put them out.
Some are scared,some curious,and some are all over the place having a ball.

 

[heronz]

P.S. There are 38 of them so hopefully they can snuggle as well if they need to.

 

[diggergal]

I just put my 3 1/2 week old chickies out in the coop. They had previously been in a brooder in the garage. They were creating so much dust and seem to need more room. My coop is in an insulated 8' x 20' shed with the coop area 8'x8'. I hung the heat lamp securely put their food, water and the branch they love to sit on from the brooder out in the coop. It didn't take them more than 30 minutes to acclimate themselves and start their antics. They loved running and spreading their wings! I live in Illinois and it has been unseasonably cool. Nights still only in the upper 30's and 40's.

They have been in the coop several days and seem very content. Not huddling under lamp. If your coop is draft free should be ok. Just watch their behavior. I am new at this too, but this is my experience so far. So much great advice on this site.

 

[Happy Chooks]

I was assuming you meant without a lamp. If you are planning on giving them a heat source at night for a couple more weeks, then they will certainly be fine. (they won't need it during the day) With 38 of them, they would probably be fine without a heat source, they will huddle up for warmth. I moved mine off the heat source at night at 5 1/2 weeks old, nights were in the 50's though. (22 of them)

 

[gale65]

Keep in mind that the majority of chicken keepers never bring the chicks in the house in the first place. When I raised chickens before I never even gave it a thought-they were kept in a small shed with a heat lamp. It was only when I started reading this board that I found out people bring them in. When we get ours later this month they'll be out in the coop from day 1.