3 week old chicks?

[Desertvalleychickens]

Just three weeks ago I hatched a Barred Rock X Dominique, 3 Light Brahma X Dominiques and one Buff Orp X Dominique... Does anyone know what to do with them when they're that old? Can they roam outside on sunny days for a few minutes? I just wonder if they can know what it's like outside at this age.

 

[3KillerBs]

How feathered are they and how warm is it out there?

I *personally* wouldn't let them outside loose without a pen, but they're almost certainly old enough to visit their coop/run on a warm, dry day even without a heat source.

I brood outdoors and had a batch recently move into the integration pen off heat at 3 1/2 weeks because I'd had a blacksnake in their brooder twice so I moved the surviving babies because it was better for them to be a little chilly at night than to get eaten.

Most of my chickens are fast-feathering breeds so they're off heat at 4-5 weeks.

 

[Nerdmom81]

As long as it’s warm and sunny I would think they’d be fine for some supervised outdoor time at that age. I wouldn’t let them roam around freely though since they won’t have any bearing on where they are in a néw place and bc of the risk of predators.

Some time separated in a chicken tractor or a covered/enclosed dog kennel may be an option for some outdoor time though.

 

[Desertvalleychickens]

How feathered are they and how warm is it out there?

I *personally* wouldn't let them outside loose without a pen, but they're almost certainly old enough to visit their coop/run on a warm, dry day even without a heat source.

I brood outdoors and had a batch recently move into the integration pen off heat at 3 1/2 weeks because I'd had a blacksnake in their brooder twice so I moved the surviving babies because it was better for them to be a little chilly at night than to get eaten.

Most of my chickens are fast-feathering breeds so they're off heat at 4-5 weeks.

It's pretty warm out here, around 95 degrees. They have some feathering on their wing, tail and their shoulder.

 

[Battlepants]

I like to brood until about 4-5 weeks, but this is entirely subjective when you factor in their feathering and the weather. If you have a good amount of feathering out (feel free to post pics for additional opinions on this) and consistently 70F+ weather, I'd say they are good to move out to a coop. I'd probably leave them locked in the coop for another week or so to grow a bit before being subjected to the outside weather.

However, if you are asking if they can have a supervised visit to the outside world, I'd say go for it! They have so much fun getting their claws into the dirt for the first time. I would strongly suggest confining them to a small area and supervise them the whole time.

 

[Nerdmom81]

It's pretty warm out here, around 95 degrees. They have some feathering on their wing, tail and their shoulder.

I’ve got some that are the same age as yours and about the same feathering. It’s been crazy hot here but will be raining all week or I might’ve let mine out for a little bit by now too. I bet they will enjoy it.

 

[3KillerBs]

It's pretty warm out here, around 95 degrees. They have some feathering on their wing, tail and their shoulder.

They can certainly go out for a visit. In fact, you'll need to watch and make sure they don't over-heat if they're used to being indoors with a cooler part of the brooder.

 

[rosemarythyme]

They absolutely can be outside at that age & temperature, as long as they're in a contained area and have ample shade and water to get relief from the heat.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

I always take my chicks on field trips at that age if the weather is nice. I put them in a big wire dog kennel in the grass with their feed and water and let them have at it. I check on them often if I'm not outside. Usually an hour or so is plenty depending on the weather. If they aren't huddled together or getting rained on I let them stay out more