Indoor versus Outdoor raised Chicks

[JadedPhoenix]

I've wondered if other people have noticed a difference in when their chicks feather out. In my experience, chicks that are raised inside seem to feather out later on than the ones that were put in outdoor brooders with heat lamps. Is it just me? My last batch, I had some in a coop outside with a lamp and they feathered out VERY quickly compared to the ones that I kept inside (the ones that were set aside as pets). They were all the same age but the ones outside looked up to two weeks older than the indoor chicks after a month.

I got my last batch on a Halloween where it was cool at night already and not very warm during the day but the chicks outside would do their best to get away from the lamp during the day even though the coop was the same temp as the brooder indoor. So does putting them outside early (while you may lose a chick) result in more hardy ones?

Just asking. My next batch is coming on April Fool's day and I plan to brood them in the same coop that I always use for my outdoor brooder.

 

[Happy Chooks]

I only brood outdoors, so I don't have indoors to compare to. But my chicks do feather in faster under a broody than brooded by me.

 

[dickhorstman]

Chicks feather quicker when they have less heat.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don’t brood in the house either, only in my built-in brooder in the coop. I heat one area and let he rest cool off as it will. In cold weather I keep food and water pretty close to the heated area.

My cooler weather chicks tend to feather out faster than my warm weather chicks. Also diet plays a part. The higher protein content (within limits) the faster they feather out.

 

[Aronia]

Good idea!