4 1/2 week chicks: Old Enough To Move To Garage 35 Degrees At Night

[BayAreaMike408]

Hi Everyone,
My chicks will be 4 1/2 weeks old next weekend and I’m wondering if they’ll be old enough to move to the garage.

Currently living in temperature controlled laundry room (heater set to 68-70) and have a RentACoop 12x12 chick brooder heating plate.

pic:

for the last week I’ve been heating the garage to the low 60s and placing them in their transition coop with a CozyCoop flat panel heater, as well as an oscillating heater outside the coop to reduce the chill in the air. They typically stay here for around 6 hours and while they do typically play but will frequently huddle around the heaters.

Pic:

I’m wondering if by next week when they turn 4 1/2 weeks old, will they be big and old enough to stay in the coop overnight in the garage where the temps will hit the mid 30s. I can keep the flat panel in their overnight but worry it won’t be enough.
Appreciate the opinions!

 

[50-45-1]

It sounds like you have been giving them lots of supplemental heat.
If you move them out I would say Send a heat source also so they can wean themselves off from it.
Once mine are fully feathered I send them to the coop but with a lamp that I reduce the bulb in all the way down to a 40 watt. That's mostly light not heat. Food and water are away from the heat and that gives them the ability to acclimate to the colder temps..
Good luck!

 

[rosemarythyme]

I'd continue offering the heat plate but turning down the heat in the garage, that gives them the option to receive heat if needed, otherwise be exposed to temperatures closer to outside.

 

[Alaskan]

X2 to what has already been said..

But I would also put a cardboard box in there set up like a nest, where they can huddle if it gets cold for them.

 

[AMHARFFEY]

I agree that they would prefer something to huddle under to feel extra protected, even if it's a towel over the top and sides of one or both ends. I used to cover the end of my brooder that had a perch of a night time to make them feel safe.