Are my chicks too young to be outside?

[aashneww]

Hi! I am brand new to chicken raising, I have 4 Mille fleur d’uccles and 1 that I think might be an Easter egger (the saleswoman at TSC said they were all silkies, they are not ) they are 15 days old.

We live in Florida and it’s been about 85 degrees here, and I’ve been bringing the chicks outside (supervised, and only when it’s warm out) they still have a lot of their down feathers, but they also have a good bit of wing and tail feathers and are happy as can be when we are outside. They don’t huddle or act like they are cold, they are happy and digging and playing the whole time. But I’ve been reading some other threads on here and I’m worried they might actually not be old enough to go outside? If that’s the case, they are gonna be mad chickies because they LOVE outside time.

Also, I had a little kale plant that is in its pot from Lowe’s that I need to plant and they went crazy for the dirt in that pot.. I noticed them pecking at it yesterday but I figured they had found some gnats or something but I think they were eating it, and now they have dark brown/ blackish poop.. that’s probably from the soil, right? I took it away from them but they definitely enjoyed some of my before I took it from them . and I give them mealworms…. But they have access to grit at all times… ughhhh

Am I doing this whole thing wrong?

Thanks for any advice!

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

If they are happy outside I sat go for it. what are your nighttime temps? Without feathers they can't regulate their body heat but you can still bring them inside at night or provide heat outside.

 

[The Chick Addict]

Hi! I am brand new to chicken raising, I have 4 Mille fleur d’uccles and 1 that I think might be an Easter egger (the saleswoman at TSC said they were all silkies, they are not ) they are 15 days old.

We live in Florida and it’s been about 85 degrees here, and I’ve been bringing the chicks outside (supervised, and only when it’s warm out) they still have a lot of their down feathers, but they also have a good bit of wing and tail feathers and are happy as can be when we are outside. They don’t huddle or act like they are cold, they are happy and digging and playing the whole time. But I’ve been reading some other threads on here and I’m worried they might actually not be old enough to go outside? If that’s the case, they are gonna be mad chickies because they LOVE outside time.

Also, I had a little kale plant that is in its pot from Lowe’s that I need to plant and they went crazy for the dirt in that pot.. I noticed them pecking at it yesterday but I figured they had found some gnats or something but I think they were eating it, and now they have dark brown/ blackish poop.. that’s probably from the soil, right? I took it away from them but they definitely enjoyed some of my before I took it from them . and I give them mealworms…. But they have access to grit at all times… ughhhh

Am I doing this whole thing wrong?

Thanks for any advice!

Hello and Welcome to BYC !!!! I brought my chicks outside at 8 weeks old but it sounds like your cute lil fluffy-butters are ready to go outside! If you do put them outside make sure their living quarters are very secure and that they can't escape, to protect them from predators. It is absolutely fine that they eat dirt; you can't ever keep chickens from eating it when scratching around ! Hope that they have a wonderful time living outside!!!!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Hi! I am brand new to chicken raising, I have 4 Mille fleur d’uccles and 1 that I think might be an Easter egger (the saleswoman at TSC said they were all silkies, they are not ) they are 15 days old.

We live in Florida and it’s been about 85 degrees here, and I’ve been bringing the chicks outside (supervised, and only when it’s warm out) they still have a lot of their down feathers, but they also have a good bit of wing and tail feathers and are happy as can be when we are outside. They don’t huddle or act like they are cold, they are happy and digging and playing the whole time. But I’ve been reading some other threads on here and I’m worried they might actually not be old enough to go outside? If that’s the case, they are gonna be mad chickies because they LOVE outside time.

Also, I had a little kale plant that is in its pot from Lowe’s that I need to plant and they went crazy for the dirt in that pot.. I noticed them pecking at it yesterday but I figured they had found some gnats or something but I think they were eating it, and now they have dark brown/ blackish poop.. that’s probably from the soil, right? I took it away from them but they definitely enjoyed some of my before I took it from them . and I give them mealworms…. But they have access to grit at all times… ughhhh

Am I doing this whole thing wrong?

Thanks for any advice!

Nope, you are doing everything right. See, for instance.

/edit Oh yeah, and TSC employees are generally NOT experts on anything to do w/ chickens.

 

[mcdze]

im in FL to and have a portable outside cage .. theyre fine when its warm out with the cage covered with a sheet of metal to protect from any rain, and located on a north side of a building so theres not sun beating down on it .. but in the evening i shuffle chicks under 4 weeks back to the brooder overnight .. after that for another couple of weeks i'll start letting them roam around outside, short stints at first then back into the cage at night and cover it completely with an old sheet .. and thats their routine for couple more weeks till they find the coop and associate it as where food is .. once they seem to handle themselves ok with the older crowd the cage can get put away ..

 

[rosemarythyme]

Your outside temps are very good for letting them have outside access. If you can run heat to the coop then you could just move them out now, if there's no adult birds. Otherwise they'll need to come in at night for another week or so as they still probably need a bit of heat at night.

My last batch of chicks was ecstatic to be out all over the run at 10 days old, 69F, but as they were raised outdoors that was an unusually warm day for them.

Letting them have access to soil as in, yard dirt is fine. I would not let them access the potted plant again, as that is most likely planted in potting mix with additives like fertilizer and perlite.

 

[The Chick Addict]

Oh yeah, and TSC employees are generally NOT experts on anything to do w/ chickens.

I totally agree! They always seem to be wrong, even about the breeds on the chick bins.

 

[Hylee Unlikely]

I'm in S Florida too, I have been able to let my chicks outside around 2-3 weeks old, at least during day time (they do have a brooder plate in their brooder). Nothing like spreading their wings and giving life a test ride! They've already been dust bathing in local substrate since 1wk old, started nibbling on herbs and veggies (I introduce one new item at a time so I can tell if/how they're tolerating and digesting it) and go wild chasing bugs around!
I think a lot of pecking and bad behaviors are not learned and can be avoided for the most part by giving them enough space and opportunities for healthy activities, (I'm no expert, jmho). Good luck with your new babies