Transferring Chicks to Coop

[Mamasea]

Hi everyone!

Newbie chicken person here.

I have exhaustively researched caring for chicks. I have the brooder box ready. I’ve ensured there is enough room, adequate heat based on age of chicks and I plan on moving them to the coop around 6 weeks of age based on the reccomendations I’ve read. They will arrive end of February, beginning of March so that means, transferring to the coop in April. Temps in my area can get to low 40s at night.

My question is, do I need to add any heat source in the coop during the first few weeks to ensure they don’t get too cold, or do I allow them to get acclimated to their new climate?

If they are fully feathered and a durable breed, should they need an additional heat source? Adding heat to a barn always make me nervous

They will have a cedar shaving floor (deep litter method) and straw for laying boxes.

Any help or suggestions are greatly appreciated!

 

[rosemarythyme]

My question is, do I need to add any heat source in the coop during the first few weeks to ensure they don’t get too cold, or do I allow them to get acclimated to their new climate?

If they are fully feathered and a durable breed, should they need an additional heat source? Adding heat to a barn always make me nervous

At 6 weeks most chicks will be well feathered enough to not have issue outdoors at that temperature. You can wean them off heat while they're indoors to help them make the transition easier.

I would NOT heat the coop unless you are in a climate with extremely cold temperatures, i.e. well below freezing. Coops can burn down, and if the power goes out the sudden change in temperature could also cause issue.

 

[Allie❤️Chickens]

Welcome!
If they are fully feathered they should be fine. Mine have gotten out in spring at four weeks and been happy and healthy. Hope this helps and enjoy BYC!

 

[azygous]

Practically speaking, you are weaning your chicks off heat from the beginning of their second week by reducing the temperature under their heat source by approximately five degrees each week. By the time they're ready to move into the coop, they should have been able to do without a heat source for a week or two already.

To acclimatize them to the much cooler temps outdoors, begin by letting them have day trips outside for progressively longer periods beginning at two weeks if the weather permits. Then the week before they move outdoors, open a window in their brooder room so the temp in the room is nice and bracing.

Another tip: when transferring the chicks to the coop, move something they've been familiar with in their brooder with them to ease the transition.

 

[lazy gardener]

What Azygous says. By the time your chicks are 3 weeks old, they can be off heat completely, if they are in your house at normal household temps. Start by turning the heat off for a little bit at a time during the second week. Follow their behavior. They'll let you know if they get cold! Then, it's a matter of acclimating them to outdoor temps a little bit at a time. All this is assuming that you are using a heat lamp. Many of us use a MHP cave style brooder instead. In that case, the chicks wean themselves with very little intervention from their keeper. You might also want to do a thread search for huddle box and wool hen.

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! Everyone has good advice here. It's temperature dependent, so moving chicks from 65F to 20F suddenly is a very bad idea, but moving them from a sheltered space to a sheltered coop is fine in itself.
I do it a little differently. My brooder raised chicks are in their brooder, with heat lamp, in the garage for about 2.5 weeks. Then I move them, with their heat lamp, to a fenced off section of my coop; they meet the adults through hardware cloth, have a heat source, and as they feather out, need the heat lamp less and less. At about six weeks, they get to go outside and interact with the 'big guys', and still come into their own area until they integrate into the flock.
My heat lamp is VERY well secured out there, and the coop is wired as safely as possible.
Finally, cedar is not good bedding material, use pine shavings instead.
Mary

 

[azygous]

Mary, thanks for catching that bit about the cedar bedding. Cedar shavings give off toxic vapors that are real rough on baby chicks' delicate respiratory systems. They may be fine for puppies and guinea pigs, but chicks, not good.

 

[Folly's place]

Cedar shavings are bad for rodents and guinea pigs too.
Mary

 

[Mamasea]

Thank you everyone for all the advice! Also, catching the bit about cedar shavings. I recall reading about cedar not being good for them but for some reason I had mixed up Pine and cedar, thinking Pine was the one that was bad for them.

 

[Folly's place]

Nice dog too!
Mary