5 month old chickens how to transition outside

[Amanda1503]

Hello! I have six 5 month old chickens that have never been outside due to problems with coop construction. The coop is almost ready and it’s time to move them outside. Any advice on transitioning young adult chickens to the outside in winter?

Thank you

 

[sourland]

What are your temperatures?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Assuming your outdoor temperatures aren't dramatically different than the temperatures they've been living in, you can just take them out and lock them in the coop for a few days to home them to it.

 

[Amanda1503]

What are your temperatures?

I’m in the North Eastern U.S. and the tempatires range from 2 degrees some nights to 40 in the day. Wednesday we’ll have 50 as the high.

 

[aart]

I have six 5 month old chickens that have never been outside due to problems with coop construction.

UHG! Can't imagine having birds that old in my house!
Cool off the room they are in as much as possible to help acclimate them.

 

[Amanda1503]

UGH! is right. I’ll try opening windows periodically. Thanks!

 

[Amanda1503]

Assuming your outdoor temperatures aren't dramatically different than the temperatures they've been living in, you can just take them out and lock them in the coop for a few days to home them to it.

Thank you!

 

[Iluveggers]

If you move them without acclimating them slowly to the temps, they could go into shock & die.

If you can keep them in a room with the door closed, you can keep the windows in that room open (& the door shut to keep the cold out of the rest of your house), and watch the temps in the room for a few days.

If you have a garage or basement that stays 10-20 degrees higher than outside temps, you could move them there for a few days.

Pick the warmest day & night after that to move them. Don’t move them on a night where temps will be at 0.

Hope that helps!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Five months old. It's hard to imagine them still inside. They've been fully feathered for more than 3 months and capable of managing those temperatures. It is time to get them outside.

If the coop has good ventilation and good breeze protection you could probably put them out and they'd be OK. But I don't like probably. I don't know your schedule or your set-up, but I'd put them out every day for as long as you can for a week, whether that is all day or just a couple of hours. Check in on them to see how they are doing but I'd be surprised if they have any issues. But always go by what you see, not what some stranger over the internet like me tells you.

I don't know where you are in the Northeast but from the 10-day forecast (always subject to change) it looks like your temperatures aren't going to be that bad after this current stuff leaves until next weekend. I'd start this afternoon and see how they react if you can, you said the coop is almost finished. They may not like the strangeness of the coop instead of the cold but just see how it goes. I think you will be surprised at how well they manage.

 

[Iluveggers]

Five months old. It's hard to imagine them still inside. They've been fully feathered for more than 3 months and capable of managing those temperatures. It is time to get them outside.

If the coop has good ventilation and good breeze protection you could probably put them out and they'd be OK. But I don't like probably. I don't know your schedule or your set-up, but I'd put them out every day for as long as you can for a week, whether that is all day or just a couple of hours. Check in on them to see how they are doing but I'd be surprised if they have any issues. But always go by what you see, not what some stranger over the internet like me tells you.

I don't know where you are in the Northeast but from the 10-day forecast (always subject to change) it looks like your temperatures aren't going to be that bad after this current stuff leaves until next weekend. I'd start this afternoon and see how they react if you can, you said the coop is almost finished. They may not like the strangeness of the coop instead of the cold but just see how it goes. I think you will be surprised at how well they manage.

These are my forecasted temps in the Northeast the next 10 days…if they are anything like mine I would wait! OP did not mention negatives so if that’s the case it would be easier than where I am!