9 week old hens going outside?

[tildenhen]

Hi everyone, this is my first year with chicks (we usually buy laying pullets in late spring and give them to a local farmer when it gets cold). My "babies" are now 9 1/2 weeks and I am nervous to leave them in their coop full-time. It is still dipping down to the 20's at night here in WI. They are bantam Cochins. When are they big enough to stay outside at night? I put them out during the day currently.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

I took my chicks off heat at around 6 weeks, which was a couple of weeks ago. Some of them still had little fuzzies on their necks. We're still having some nights in the 20s and 30s (not many, thank goodness). They've been fine. There are 20 of them though, so they have quite the cuddle puddle going on at night.

Yours should be fully feathered at 9 weeks old, and they can still snuggle each other. I'd put them in the coop full time if they lived at my house

 

[tildenhen]

I took my chicks off heat at around 6 weeks, which was a couple of weeks ago. Some of them still had little fuzzies on their necks. We're still having some nights in the 20s and 30s (not many, thank goodness). They've been fine. There are 20 of them though, so they have quite the cuddle puddle going on at night.

Yours should be fully feathered at 9 weeks old, and they can still snuggle each other. I'd put them in the coop full time if they lived at my house

Thanks!!! They're definitely getting crowded in their brooder cage at night and they are roosting on the wooden dowel I put in there! I will try tomorrow and night and see how it goes. Thanks!