Ready for outside?

[LiizardWiitch]

I have 6, 3 week old silkie and silkie/polish mix chicks that have been outdoors for 12 hrs in the day already...
Temps are 80ish during the day 45ish at night
Can give them a heat lamp but would like to move them outside if they will be okay.

 

[Bella the Chicken Lover]

Is there a coop they could go into for shelter?

 

[LiizardWiitch]

Is there a coop they could go into for shelter?

I have a plastic tote with a hole for entrance cut in it filled with straw and bedding, but that's about it. Not sure if it would cut it for night, and they are a little small to merge with my existing silkies chicks that are 3 months

 

[Bella the Chicken Lover]

Okay. If I were you, I would put the heat lamp in there(you might have already done that), and the chicks will go inside when it gets dark. Supervise to make sure they go in at night, and if they do, they will be fine. It looks like in the picture, that the fencing is secure, so predators won't get in and hurt them while they are in their tote.

 

[K0k0shka]

If you do give them heat, give them a brooder plate, not a lamp. Lamps are a serious fire hazard. Also, how are you going to get a lamp inside a plastic tote? They need darkness to sleep, it will be shining on them. And it may overheat the tote, they'll have nowhere to escape to if it gets too hot. At 3 weeks they don't need the same kind of intense heat that young baby chicks need. Definitely brooder plate (you can DIY one easily with a heating pad strapped to a wooden board on legs).

Is the fencing in the photo what you have around your run? If so, then that's not predator proof. Smaller predators like weasels can fit through the gaps, and anything that digs can dig under. I'm hoping that's not your run fencing, looks more like a temporary fencing setup enclosing the chicks maybe? If you'll be leaving the plastic tote outside, it will need to be inside a truly predator proof run (walls, overhead, dig-proof perimeter etc.)

 

[LiizardWiitch]

If you do give them heat, give them a brooder plate, not a lamp. Lamps are a serious fire hazard. Also, how are you going to get a lamp inside a plastic tote? They need darkness to sleep, it will be shining on them. And it may overheat the tote, they'll have nowhere to escape to if it gets too hot. At 3 weeks they don't need the same kind of intense heat that young baby chicks need. Definitely brooder plate (you can DIY one easily with a heating pad strapped to a wooden board on legs).

Is the fencing in the photo what you have around your run? If so, then that's not predator proof. Smaller predators like weasels can fit through the gaps, and anything that digs can dig under. I'm hoping that's not your run fencing, looks more like a temporary fencing setup enclosing the chicks maybe? If you'll be leaving the plastic tote outside, it will need to be inside a truly predator proof run (walls, overhead, dig-proof perimeter etc.)

Woah.

First of all the heat lamp is not *in* the plastic tote. You can cut a hole in the top of the tote, staple wiring into place, and set the lamp on top or when they are older hang the lamp above it higher, but still shining in it. My tote is big enough to also give them a spot with the top of the tote still intact in case, by some miracle, it rains here. And if they get too hot they can simply move to the other side of the tote or even better, leave the tote?? But when they are all SLEEPING under the heat lamp, I don't think they are overheating.

I've used heat lamps for years and never had a fire or anything dangerous happen. Use common sense and be smart when placing heat lamps. make sure they are secured with more than just the clamp it comes with and you're probably gonna live.

My whole neighborhood is raising chicks like this. They are in a run, inside a run that is galvanized wired. My older silkie chicks are in this run with a coop, but they are much larger than these chicks and don't want anyone getting hurt, so I have them segregated still. On top of that they are the surrounded by 6 ft fencing. I live in a neighborhood were almost everyone has chickens. The only predator we MIGHT get is a snake, even then haven't seen one in years here. Also have a rooster and he'll fight off any pigeons that might try and eat a chick

I promise you, they are okay. You might be meaning well, but don't jump to conclusions.

If you do give them heat, give them a brooder plate, not a lamp. Lamps are a serious fire hazard. Also, how are you going to get a lamp inside a plastic tote? They need darkness to sleep, it will be shining on them. And it may overheat the tote, they'll have nowhere to escape to if it gets too hot. At 3 weeks they don't need the same kind of intense heat that young baby chicks need. Definitely brooder plate (you can DIY one easily with a heating pad strapped to a wooden board on legs).

Is the fencing in the photo what you have around your run? If so, then that's not predator proof. Smaller predators like weasels can fit through the gaps, and anything that digs can dig under. I'm hoping that's not your run fencing, looks more like a temporary fencing setup enclosing the chicks maybe? If you'll be leaving the plastic tote outside, it will need to be inside a truly predator proof run (walls, overhead, dig-proof perimeter etc.)

 

[mcdze]

40s is a little chilly to me for 3 weekers and theyre still kindof little guys at that point .. theyd probably be ok, but id put them up at night for another week or 2 .. or if the weather got to mid 60s at night, id just make sure theyre covered good so its not drafty and really secure so nothing can get to them, house cats etc ..