Different aged chicks, when to put them outside?

[DarkAngel77]

I have 8 chicks, they are all different ages. 5 are 4 weeks old, 2 is 3 weeks old and 1 is 2 weeks old. I'm unsure if I should put them all out at the same time, or if I need to separate them and put them out when they reach 6 weeks individually?

The 4 week olds are mostly feathered, their wings and body's are feathered, and their heads are mostly feathered (there's just very little fluff left, so I'm assuming by this time next week they will be fully feathered). The 3 week olds, one is feathered almost as well as the 4 week olds, but the other 3 week old still still has more fluff (she is a wyandotte, I had read that they tend to feather slower), and ofcourse the 2 week old is obviously still pretty fluffy, but she's getting there and I think she is feathering out really good.

My concern is, if I put them out at the same time, will the younger chicks struggle? Or if I separate them, will I have to reintroduce them to the older chicks and will they get bullied? This is my first year having chickens, so there is no older chickens.

I live in Southern Oklahoma, our temps lately have been upper 60s/70s in the day with a couple days being in the 80s. Our nights have been 40s/50s with an occasional night being in the upper 30s.

 

[Debbie292d]

They're all too young to be outside at 30 to 40F without supplemental heat. We use a cozy coop radiant heater in our grow out pen, but still don't put them outside until they're 6-8 weeks old.

If you haven't tried putting them together yet, do you have them all separated in a brooder? I'd try now before you put them out so they'd all be able to huddle together. We've put up to 3-weeks apart with silkies and a different breed just fine in the past. It's best if they could all be put together while you're right there to watch what goes on. Depending on breed, they just might be fine all together now, especially the 3 and 4-week olds.

 

[rosemarythyme]

If you've been brooding them together this whole time, best to send them all out at the same time so they remain as familiar and friendly with each other as possible.

You'll need to work with the youngest one's timeline. What breed are these birds? Any with unusual feathering, i.e. Silkies? If no, they should be able to start going out during the day for a couple hours in a safe, enclosed run to begin acclimating to outdoor living. Make sure there's somewhere they can huddle for wind protection and warmth. If at all possible, it'd be optimal to run a heat source out for the youngest one, but if it's on the warmer side (70, 80) she won't likely need it as long as the trips out aren't too long.

By 3 weeks (youngest one) they should be able to spend most of the day outside. By 4 weeks they should all be able to move out full time without heat, provided temperatures hold on the warmer side at night.

 

[DarkAngel77]

They're all too young to be outside at 30 to 40F without supplemental heat. We use a cozy coop radiant heater in our grow out pen, but still don't put them outside until they're 6-8 weeks old.

If you haven't tried putting them together yet, do you have them all separated in a brooder? I'd try now before you put them out so they'd all be able to huddle together. We've put up to 3-weeks apart with silkies and a different breed just fine in the past. It's best if they could all be put together while you're right there to watch what goes on. Depending on breed, they just might be fine all together now, especially the 3 and 4-week olds.

I'm not planning to put them outside right now, not for atleast a couple more weeks. They have all been together since the day I brought them all home.

 

[DarkAngel77]

If you've been brooding them together this whole time, best to send them all out at the same time so they remain as familiar and friendly with each other as possible.

You'll need to work with the youngest one's timeline. What breed are these birds? Any with unusual feathering, i.e. Silkies? If no, they should be able to start going out during the day for a couple hours in a safe, enclosed run to begin acclimating to outdoor living. Make sure there's somewhere they can huddle for wind protection and warmth. If at all possible, it'd be optimal to run a heat source out for the youngest one, but if it's on the warmer side (70, 80) she won't likely need it as long as the trips out aren't too long.

By 3 weeks (youngest one) they should be able to spend most of the day outside. By 4 weeks they should all be able to move out full time without heat, provided temperatures hold on the warmer side at night.

No, no unusual feathering. They are buff orpington, speckled sussex, isa brown, wyandotte, one I'm unsure what she really is but I'm certain she is leghorn (she's the 3 week old that is feathered out almost as well as the 4 week olds), and the youngest is a onyx pearl.

I've been wanting to start to introduce them to outside, but wasn't sure if the younger ones is ready. I do have a small area that I had planned on starting them out in for outside time on the warmer days. How long would be to long for the youngest chick to be outside? If the oldest chicks are doing good outside, would it be ok to let them spend more time outside, or should all of their outside time be at the same time and all together?

I originally was only going to have the original 5, the oldest chicks, but a trip to look at baby chicks with a friend ended up with the other 2 plus the youngest. I didn't even think about how it would be to transition them outside with their different ages.

 

[Debbie292d]

No, no unusual feathering. They are buff orpington, speckled sussex, isa brown, wyandotte, one I'm unsure what she really is but I'm certain she is leghorn (she's the 3 week old that is feathered out almost as well as the 4 week olds), and the youngest is a onyx pearl.

I've been wanting to start to introduce them to outside, but wasn't sure if the younger ones is ready. I do have a small area that I had planned on starting them out in for outside time on the warmer days. How long would be to long for the youngest chick to be outside? If the oldest chicks are doing good outside, would it be ok to let them spend more time outside, or should all of their outside time be at the same time and all together?

I originally was only going to have the original 5, the oldest chicks, but a trip to look at baby chicks with a friend ended up with the other 2 plus the youngest. I didn't even think about how it would be to transition them outside with their different ages.

With all my chicks, when weather is permitting, I let them outside in a pet pen and start with an hour (days old chicks). Your youngest being three weeks should be fine with them out there but I'd keep an eye on it if they're all running around having fun and that one's huddled up looking cold. I'm guessing if it's warm enough, they're all going to have a blast going outside!!

 

[Sundown Feathers]

I need some advice on baby chicks. I have 3 easter egg chicks that are 18 weeks old. They are in the coop and have a limited area to a small run during the day.

I wanted to get a couple more little chicks - and orpington and one that is black =- I forgot the name. When would I put them all together? I know the littles would need to be in a brooder but after that I don't want the older ones to harm the little babies.

Also, I bought a ratinator and have NOT caught a single rat in it. I have caught with a snap trap 3 small rats but nothing in the ratinator. What kind of food should I put in the ratinator to get them to go into it?

 

[NatJ]

@Sundown Feathers It usually works best to start a separate thread for your own question, instead of adding it on to someone else's thread.

Edit: I see that you already did start separate threads for your questions. Good!

 

[DarkAngel77]

With all my chicks, when weather is permitting, I let them outside in a pet pen and start with an hour (days old chicks). Your youngest being three weeks should be fine with them out there but I'd keep an eye on it if they're all running around having fun and that one's huddled up looking cold. I'm guessing if it's warm enough, they're all going to have a blast going outside!!

The youngest is 2 weeks, oldest is 4 weeks. I have a little area set up for when I do bring them outside. It'll be while we are outside doing yard work so that I can keep a close eye on them, I'm not sure if I trust leaving them outside unsupervised just yet.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I've been wanting to start to introduce them to outside, but wasn't sure if the younger ones is ready. I do have a small area that I had planned on starting them out in for outside time on the warmer days. How long would be to long for the youngest chick to be outside? If the oldest chicks are doing good outside, would it be ok to let them spend more time outside, or should all of their outside time be at the same time and all together?

I brood outdoors so even at 10 days old mine have no issue being away from the heat for 1-2 hours at that age, at lower average temperatures than what you have. But no need to rush it either if that makes you uncomfortable. Figure the first day would be maybe an hour at most, see how they do, and gradually lengthen it from there. Like 1 1/2 hrs the next day, 2 hours after that, so on.

I'd either have them all out or not at all, mostly because the chicks left inside would likely be more upset by being left "at home" minus their buddies, or vice versa.