8 week old chicks outside... over night?

[Beaglegal]

I have 3 eight week old BCM chicks, they have been going outside to their look but no touch pen during the day for a week and a half. When can they stay outside at night in their unheated mini coop? They have been spending the nights in my living room, but I’m looking to get my house back sometime soon. The hitch is my nights are going to be high 20s the next week. Days have been in the 50s, high 40s. They are mainly feathered out but some are still coming in on one.

 

[aart]

They should be fine...as long as they are dry and out of the wind.
Depending on how warm you keep your house, might be good to keep them in a 'between' place for a few nights....somewhere cooler than your house but warmer than the coop.

 

[Beaglegal]

They should be fine...as long as they are dry and out of the wind.
Depending on how warm you keep your house, might be good to keep them in a 'between' place for a few nights....somewhere cooler than your house but warmer than the coop.

We have a detached garage but I’m not sure how much warmer it is then the chick house. I would be tempted to leave the light on them which would probably defeat the purpose

 

[aart]

We have a detached garage but I’m not sure how much warmer it is then the chick house. I would be tempted to leave the light on them which would probably defeat the purpose

I assume the light(heat lamp?) is not used in the house anymore?
You could put the light in the garage but not too near them to raise the temp a tad.

 

[Beaglegal]

I assume the light(heat lamp?) is not used in the house anymore?
You could put the light in the garage but not too near them to raise the temp a tad.

No, I don’t use it anymore in the house, I think I’ll try that. This is only my second batch of chicks and the others I raised in September when it was warmer. Thanks

 

[Ridgerunner]

I've had 5-1/2 week old chicks go through nights in the mid 20's F, not your high 20's. Mine were well acclimated, the area had great ventilation up high, good breeze protection down low where they were, and were 2-1/2 weeks younger than yours.

If yours were 6 weeks old I might worry some about the acclimation part but at 8 weeks, not really as long as the ventilation and breeze protection were good. But yours will not be harmed if you go slow. The main thing is to go, slow or fast.

Good luck!

 

[Mtnboomer]

I have 3 eight week old BCM chicks, they have been going outside to their look but no touch pen during the day for a week and a half. When can they stay outside at night in their unheated mini coop? They have been spending the nights in my living room, but I’m looking to get my house back sometime soon. The hitch is my nights are going to be high 20s the next week. Days have been in the 50s, high 40s. They are mainly feathered out but some are still coming in on one.

8wks is the age my Brahma pullets go outside regardless of temperature.

 

[Beaglegal]

I've had 5-1/2 week old chicks go through nights in the mid 20's F, not your high 20's. Mine were well acclimated, the area had great ventilation up high, good breeze protection down low where they were, and were 2-1/2 weeks younger than yours.

If yours were 6 weeks old I might worry some about the acclimation part but at 8 weeks, not really as long as the ventilation and breeze protection were good. But yours will not be harmed if you go slow. The main thing is to go, slow or fast.

Good luck!

Yes, I’ve gotta do something, it’s just nerve wracking

 

[Beaglegal]

8wks is the age my Brahma pullets go outside regardless of temperature.

And they do okay?

 

[Mtnboomer]

And they do okay?

Yep. Once fully fledged, they moderate their own body temps. On cold nights they huddle together on the roost or in corner of coop, but they do fine.
My brooders are in the garage with heat lamps. I turn the heat off once they have their feathers and start spending little to no time under it (about 6wks).