When can my chicks stay outside (in a shelter) overnight?

[Kate in CT]

I have 3 five week old Buff Orpingtons. During the day, they've been out in a "nursery coop" consisting of a 4' diameter dogs exercise pen & a small dog crate. The dog crate has a wire mesh door and wire openings running the length of the crate. I live in south-central CT-tonight the temps are to get into the low 40's so I brought the babies inside & put them into their 35 gal tote. They didn't want to go! I put them in anyway because I'm worrried about how they'd tolerate 40 degrees overnight. There is shavings in their outside crate, but there are only three of them! We're supposed to have overnight temps in the 50's tomorrow night and the rest of the week. Can I leave them out overnight then? (Obviously, I'd close the crate door to keep out any critters who'd like a chicken snack.)

Thanks for any advice. I've not raised any chickens since I was a teenager . . .and no one's memory is THAT long!

 

[briana1975]

Can something like a racoon get it's hand between the wire on the crate? We just trapped a coon and it doug up the ground all around the trap by putting it's hand through the openings, that aren't very big. 1"x1". My sons friends mother put her rooster in a dog crate overnight because he was not behaving and a coon reached in and took him out bit by bit. That would be what I would be worried about. The temps should be close to being ok.

 

[ChickieKeeta]

I am in NJ & I have 3 & 4 week old chicks outside. I put a pen together using panels of a parrot cage & zip ties. I
covered it with green plastic garden fencing. It is attatched
to a dog house. They have been out there 2 weeks & 1 week respectivly. I have a heat lamp clamped to a rack inside the dog house. I started with it on 24/7. Warmer days I pull the plug. I check on them when it gets dark. I find them huddled
together in front of the dog house. I plug in the lamp &
in they go. One night we had a frost warning. I added a second heat lamp that night. Large dog house. 250 watt red
bulbs.It has been down to 40 with the one lamp.
They are thriving.

 

[Kate in CT]

Thanks for the info.

Briana, I don't think a varmint would get a them. The squares into the crate are pretty small-but it's a good point. I'll cover the sides with hardware cloth when I finally leave them out . . .their pen is in my front yard-about 10 ft away from my dogs' yard. I have four Rhodesian Ridgebacks which don't tolerate any critter visitors. The entire neighborhood would know if something tried to get the birds.

Kittygirl-how big is your dog house? The crate is for a small dog; it originally belonged to my mother's Pug. I think it would get too hot with even a lightbulb in it.

 

[Gonzo]

we have a puppy playpen in our yard for the babies, and I cannot leave them unattended because we have hawks stalking us the minute we take them out.

 

[Gonzo]

BTW...

You'll love this site! You can learn so much from here, it's great! enjoy!

 

[Cape Cod Chick]

I have a related question, so I hope it's okay to post here. My six chicks are four weeks old (approximately) and they all have their feathers now. Can I put them outside during the day if it's only 60 degrees out? We have a mobile run for them and they seemed to like it alot on the warmer days we had this weekend, but I'm afraid they will be cold now that it's chillier out.

Thanks for any advice!

 

[momoftwinsinwi]

I lost all of my grown hens to fox that were hunting by day while they free ranged, so when my chicks were 4-5 weeks old, and the coop/run has been "alcatrazed" I put them in there, that was 2 weeks ago and they are doing great, no electric out there so no heat lamp and it's been in the 40's and 50's at night, I have 14 of them out there and they are very happy and healthy

 

[Cape Cod Chick]

So sorry about that fox!!! The thought of predators gives me nightmares.

Thanks so much for the help! My little girls are restless in their coop in the basement and we have a very secure mobile pen my husband built. I just didn't want them to freeze.

I'm heading down to let them out right now!

 

[vwoods]

My 6, 4 - week old golden comets just stayed out in the coop for their first time last night. They are still in the dog crate to seperate them from the grown ones but had no heat lamp and did just fine - it was down to 50 last night. They were up and very chipper when I checked on them at 5:30 this morning. Very fascinated with their Big Sisters!!