Cold weather, open air, older chickens ... #chickproblems

[M1Peterson]

Thanks in advance for reading. I'm lacking a clear path forward, and my research is no longer helping. Ultimately, the questions are (as always) how and when do I move my chicks outside?

I've got two one-year olds (Cream Leghorn and Speckled Sussex), and 5 weeks ago I bought 5 chicks (Welsummer, White Leghorn, Australorp, Prairie Bluebell, and Buff Orpington). I was woefully unprepared for these chicks, and yes I am actually kicking myself on the regular. Summer chicks for life from now on!

Here's what I can't resolve. The chicks are currently in my garage, in a feeding trough with screen over top, and a K&H plate brooder. The trough technically meets the "one square foot" per chick concept, but in reality with all their gear, it feels too small AND they're not getting along well.

My older girls live in an outdoor coop with a large fenced area to roam. Within our coop, we put up a divider wall to give the chicks a safe space from the older girls, but quickly realized this was silly: The space left for them isn't big enough to live in (1'x4'), and while the coop itself would be plenty big, that would require allowing the chicks immediate outdoor access to preserve the big girls ability to access food, water, and nesting boxes.

The two options I'm considering are:
1) Chicks stay in the garage, but move 2 to a plastic bin, keep 3 in the trough, thereby buying them a little more room. They'd stay until 8 weeks of age, whereafter they'd move in with the big girls and have the same coop/outdoor access.
2) Move all 5 chicks to the smaller compartment inside the coop for sleeping, then move them to a small pen for outside time during the day. I'm thinking I would need to set up the brooder plate for them during the day as well, as our highs are only in the upper 40s.

Both of these options have drawbacks. Namely, the chicks just don't seem happy inside, with their low ceilings, etc. But the pen I have coming for them (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D5P846Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1) seems like only a marginal improvement space and height wise.

Am I missing some easier, better solution to my self-generated problem here? Really hoping someone knowledgeable is out there reading this and willing to swoop in with some good advice! Either way, thanks for reading.

Best,
Melissa

 

[Sally PB]

Can you post some pictures to show your set up? Also, where are you located? Climate matters a lot with chicken keeping.

 

[M1Peterson]

Thanks for the reply, Sally PB! We are north of Portland, Oregon. I've attached a screenshot of our 10-day forecast, along with all the other relevant pics. Let me know if I missed something that would be helpful, please!

 

[mcdze]

i like keeping them warm at night when its that cold .. i have a wire pen, and during the day if its sunny they can go outside, and the pen can be located half in half out of the sun on the north side of the building .. once it to 60+ overnight i can just throw a sheet and piece of woid over it and they can stay out .. if its hittin low low at night its back in the garage and a brooder light till i feel theyre ready .. 7 or so weeks id say ..

 

[rosemarythyme]

I'd aim for option 2 - coop at night (possibly with option of heat, if they're not fully weaned off heat at this point and haven't been acclimated to outside temps at all) and run during day.

The exercise pen you have on order is super tiny - can you possibly get a larger one, like 4x4? Or skip that and get some chicken wire or hardware cloth and simply fence off a portion of the run for the chicks to use.

 

[M1Peterson]

I'd aim for option 2 - coop at night (possibly with option of heat, if they're not fully weaned off heat at this point and haven't been acclimated to outside temps at all) and run during day.

The exercise pen you have on order is super tiny - can you possibly get a larger one, like 4x4? Or skip that and get some chicken wire or hardware cloth and simply fence off a portion of the run for the chicks to use.

Thanks for those thoughts. So question ... given our forecast, do I need to have supplemental heat available to them outside during the day if I go this route?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Thanks for those thoughts. So question ... given our forecast, do I need to have supplemental heat available to them outside during the day if I go this route?

If you have already fully weaned them off heat, you shouldn't need it at all during the day. If you have not and the garage was on the warm side for some reason (as unlikely as that is), then I'd give them the option of heat for maybe another week.

Wouldn't hurt to keep a closer eye on them the first day, to ensure they're not showing obvious signs of distress over the temperature or that the hens aren't harassing them too much.