3 weeks old -- outside time in Texas?

[Lucretia]

Hi all! My little chookies are about 3 weeks old now, and getting awfully big for the little brooder I had set up. I thought maybe I could take them out to their future hutch for some extra space. It's not huge (hope to expand it later), and the whole front "wall" of it is screen, and there's a screen window on one of the short sides, too. I have it closed up, though, so they can't get out into the run just yet. It's totally shady and it has a nice breeze...temp right now is 91 in the sun, so a bit cooler in the shade.

But I just went out to check on them, and even though the inside of their coop feels cooler than their brooder did, they are still lounging around panting with droopy wings...which I know is a sign that they are hot (they never did that in the brooder)! Could it be that they're nervous? Is it dangerous for them to be outside if it makes them hot? Eventually they will be living outside with all their feathers, so I thought it might be good to let them get acclimated. But if it's dangerous I certainly don't want to leave them out!

Where I live it's been getting up to around 100 every day (of course cooler in the shade) and around 80 at night. Could I leave them out permanently (if it's safe), or should I still bring them in at night? Any advice would be great!

~Lu

 

[KDailey]

I'm in the pinewoods of deep East Texas and my chicks are just a bit younger than yours and they've all been outside in the coop and run for several days. I haven't noticed any of them panting or anything. Our temps are 100+ on some days.

 

[pjknust]

I am about 2 hr west of DFW and I started mine out slowly. I took them out in the mornings and brought them back in at 90`. For about a week, then started them out staying out at night for a few days. At about 4 wk they are outside in a small grow out pen at my back door, in the shade all the time with a fan and ice blocks at 12, 2 and 4. For the past couple of weeks they go out in a double ex pen in a very green grassy area mornings and evenings and then back in their beddybye pen from noon til about 6. They have a cat litter box to wade in or sit on the side and I wet the ground for them. I do the same for m 3 yr old hens;

They are 8 1/2 wk old now and its way too hot to try to acclimate them to the hen house. Gonna be a long time til OCT!!!

pam in TX