When should I banish my 5 week old chicks to the outside realm?

[AmooseReally]

Just wanted to know when I should let my Light Brahma Chicks out. They do mature slower as I know they're a bigger breed but, they’re already getting big at 5 weeks old. When should I take them out of the brooder?

 

[nuthatched]

Totally.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Where in this world are you located; what's the weather like where you are? Do you have a coop they can get into at night or if they feel cold or in case it rains or snows? How many are there; can they snuggle together for warmth?

 

[AmooseReally]

Where in this world are you located; what's the weather like where you are? Do you have a coop they can get into at night or if they feel cold or in case it rains or snows? How many are there; can they snuggle together for warmth?

I'm in San Antonio Texas and I do have a coop but there's adult chickens of various breeds in there so I don't think they'd be safe near them

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I see. Are you familiar with the "see-no-touch" method of integration?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I don't think they'd be safe from predators if you just cast them loose without some kind of protected place to go, although given your location they may not suffer from just the elements at this age. They probably have enough feathers to keep them warm unless you have an unusual cold snap. But just to turn them loose in the wild does not seem like a good idea to me, I wouldn't do it myself.

 

[Rooka_2]

They definitely don't need heat at this point so a brooder is not needed. But they would appreciate more space, what I do with mine is I put them in a pen in my barn, separate from the flock and let them grow out for a bit before I introduce them to the flock. If you have a pen beside your coop that would be even better, so they can become acquainted but can't get hurt.

 

[Yardmom]

What is the plan with your chicks? Young birds are not as big a threat as older birds to an existing flock. Find a way to give them a space in your coop or where ever they are going to live when they are grown. Personally I fence a corner with a hole in the bottom that littles can go through, but bigs can't. 5 week old chicks will be fine without heat if it is dry and not drafty.

 

[AmooseReally]

I see. Are you familiar with the "see-no-touch" method of integration?

Actually you just reminded me of it! Thanks for telling me. I'll do that.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Actually you just reminded me of it! Thanks for telling me. I'll do that.

You're welcome. We've just integrated our now-9-week old chicks with our OG's and have had no issues. They share a fence from about age 4 weeks to six weeks, then we just open the gate that separates them. We never see pecking, chasing or bullying of any kind, with one exception - when we toss out scratch in the afternoon, there may be an occasional peck, so we set out a separate pile for the chicks, away from the OG's. Good luck!