2 week old chicks outside?

[FC16]

So I’ve started taking my 2 week old chicks outside the last few days and they love it and never seem cold.
Currently isn’t too warm though and have highs of 16°C (60F) in the day and lows of around 9°C (48F)
Is this too cold to start phasing them outside permanently?
I was planning on moving them out brooder and keeping them in the coop for the first week or so and only letting them outside for little stints
Is there a way I could make the coop warm for them to without putting the heat lamp out there?

Or is it probably too early?

 

[Silkie Princess]

I personally think it's a bit too cold

 

[FC16]

I personally think it's a bit too cold

I Allowed them to come out their little run that they usually play in if I let them in the garden and the flock met them. There was a little bit of pecking but it went down quite well.

i do agree with with you It’s probably too cold and I’ll leave it a couple more weeks

 

[svh]

Good for you getting them out early ..... Seems a lot of people keep them inside way too long !

I think you should be fine with the use of a brooder plate, mother hen heating pad, or similar heat producing device.

This is just my opinion, and is worth exactly what you paid for it !

 

[3KillerBs]

They need some sort of heat until well-feathered, but getting them out early is good.

I brood outside -- though to be entirely transparent, my climate is a "worry about too hot" situation rather than "worry about too cold" and my brooder is 4x8 and set up for the safe use of a heat lamp.

 

[Show Sebright]

If they have a way to keep warm they yes but the night lows worries me. I live in Florida where at night it is only 69 right now. So I think people from up north will better help with this.

 

[Mrs. K]

They will be fine. Make a huddle box, which is a fancy name for a small cardboard box. You want them to huddle together and still have about an inch of room along all for sides for the size. Add bedding.

What I do is turn off the lights, let them get a little chilly, and then with a dimmed light, I push them into the box. Sometimes you have to hold them there for a moment, until they settle. They will be peeping madly, saying they are cool, then almost instantly, they will silence in the box, and go to sleep. I do this a couple of nights before I put them out. Mine go out around 2-3 weeks.

If you are worried, keep a thermometer in there to check the temperature in there, or insulate the top (but beware, styrofoam is great, but chickens can eat it. I use a secure pillow attached to the ceiling of the box. Mine usually rises to well above 90 degrees in a few moments.

To me, outside almost always means more space, and more exercise, more fresh air, and more sunshine all which contribute far more to their over all health than a too small but safe brooder inside.

Mrs K

 

[Ponypoor]

It's COLD here but I have a mama hen to keep babes warm. But even still at 2 weeks I don't let them out for long.

I have one of those Cozy Hen heat panels that I have used with youngsters and they cozy up next to that to keep warm. I think it's safer than a heat lamp. With mama and her chickies I am going to put up a small pen for them with the heat panel, this way the chicks can either goto mama or huddle with the panel. Chicks r tough and I agree with above statements get them out and about.

 

[Ponypoor]

They need some sort of heat until well-feathered, but getting them out early is good.

I brood outside -- though to be entirely transparent, my climate is a "worry about too hot" situation rather than "worry about too cold" and my brooder is 4x8 and set up for the safe use of a heat lamp.

I wanna have 'too hot' worry . I am dreading winter.... Brrrrr!

 

[3KillerBs]

I wanna have 'too hot' worry . I am dreading winter.... Brrrrr!

You'll feel better about that when you remember that from late May to early September I consider 90F a cool day.