Appropriate age to go outside?

[kargo]

Can I let my 9 six-day-olds (hatched sometime last Monday) out to play for a little while today? It is 77 degrees here. I have school tomorrow and I would love to be with them for their first day outside. Do you think I could go out with them for a few minutes today?

 

[elmo]

Sure, just stay with them and if any of them start acting chilled, bring them back inside to get warm again.

This is pretty much what they'd be doing if their own mother was raising them.

 

[Country Heart]

mmm...they sound a bit young and it sounds a bit too cool. I wouldn't do it, but that's just me.

 

[1-duckling]

Definitely as long as you have a contained area and you stay with them like Elmo said. It's important they don't get chilled, know where the water and food is, and be in a place you can easily catch them. I made an outside "brooder" area that they can jump around and play and still be protected from any of the other critters. Shade, sun, food, and water. I've used it for several years for week old chicks, ducklings, goslings, and poults. Again, keep an eye on them.

 

[Tala]

I took mine out at that age. I had them in a wire dog crate with no bottom and a little food and water dish. The air temp was 70's but it was about 90 in the direct sunlight. I took them out for short trips (10-15min) once a day at first, and they LOVED it! If they start to get cold they huddle up, so you know it's time to take them in, but it never happened to mine when it was 70+ degrees outside.

By two weeks they were begging to go outside, and I was happy to move them!

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Yep, you just have to learn how to be mama hen to them. Keep an eye on them, make sure they don't get chilled and get them back under the heat lamp the second they show any signs of chilling.

 

[Judy]

Broody mamas take them out at 2 or 3 days, even if the weather is cool.

 

[Tala]

Quote:
Well, since chickens don't give milk or otherwise feed their young, the mama HAS to start taking them out by 3 days or they will starve