Are these chicks old enough to go outside?

[FowlWitch]

They'll be in a sheltered coop with some older chicks. Day time temps range between mid 70s to low 80s, night time temps from mid 40s to low 60s. No rain projected for the upcoming weeks.

They hatched different days ranging from June 23rd to June 27th.

 

[Kiki]

I'd put them out.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I'd wait at least another couple weeks. Hopefully your night temperatures will be warmer by then.

 

[tayjamieson]

I would keep them indoors until they are about the size of a kick ball (I know that's random but I can't remember what exact week I put mine outside and they did amazing). I'm sure someone else will comment and let you know a for sure age range in weeks.

When they are that little they truly need those consistent high temperatures in order to survive and develop into healthy happy chickens. Also for their safety it's good to keep chicks together away from any threats such as other animals, predators, etc. I included a chart that displays temperature needs based on age in weeks. May I ask what the reason is behind you wanting to move them outdoors quickly?

I don't know if you have older chickens out in your coop, but it's worth mentioning if you do that they will more than likely peck/bully the new chicks (pecking order establishment) and when the chicks are that young and still developing it can cause injuries, brain damage, or even death. They are super fragile when they are small so if you can hang in there until they have the required survival capabilities and skills that would be in the best interest of your sweet babies.

 

[Chickassan]

The thing with shipped eggs the chicks have resistances to things but only in the area where they originated from they don't have a thing for where they're hatched.
Also worth mentioning medicated feed helps with cocci but isn't a fail safe.
It helps to expose them to soil from your existing setup to build resistance to strains that are present in your area.

Hatching eggs from eBay. None of the chicks hatched out from my flock got sick, only the eBay chicks. I lost 2 more today, but the Svart Hona's appetite is back, so I think she'll be okay. Oh also, all of the eBay eggs came with Npip certification.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

NPIP is a national program administered by states beginning in the 1930s.
It was a successful attempt to eradicate pullorum and typhoid which were devastating to the poultry industry and is deemed to be a threat to this day. Occasionally those diseases show up through testing.
That said, a chicken that is NPIP tested and P-T clean can theoretically have a hundred other diseases. So as was said, NPIP doesn't guarantee a healthy bird, it just doesn't have pullorum or typhoid.

 

[FowlWitch]

Are you building another coop?


A 4 x 4 coop is good for about 4 chickens...if that many.

How many total do you have right now?

I'm in the process of putting up a new coop. It's 6 feet by 10 feet, but it just arrived today in the late afternoon. I was asleep all day (night shift warehouse and overtime is a rough combo), so all I've had time for was to level out the area where I'm going to put the new coop. It's a dog kennel and I think it'll only take a couple of hours to erect, so all of my older chickens will be placed there tomorrow. I have 3 adult EE hens, a subadult cockrel serama, and two 4~ week old EE-Silkie crosses (the two older chicks). My coworker is taking the two chicks this Saturday, so it will only be the 4 adults in the 6x10 run. The older run is 7.5 x 7.5 feet with a big wood box coop (the 4x4 foot one). I'm actually making plans to dismantle it and rehab the whole run because it took damage in the winter from snow piling up on the roof. And then next week I have a third run I'll be setting up that is 8x8 feet.

 

[tayjamieson]

Also - I have had 4 friends who bought new bulbs/lamps and had their barns or coops catch fire in the middle of the night. I've been told to only use a heat lamp in an unsupervised area such as a coop in the middle of the night when there is no other choice. Inside your home with heat lamps is generally safer because people typically are there to supervise or notice a fire if one should start, and homes are equipped with fire alarms. It's always good to use new bulbs and lamps/equipment. I was told it is often the cords or outlets that start the fire in the first place, so using extension coryou can gauge your outlets by using your hand to feel the outlet that your heat lamp is plugged into often and if it feels hot unplug so it can cool down. If the outlet you're using is getting hot regularly then it's smart to relocate to a different outlet. Make sure you are not using a bunch of extension cords, and to only have the heat lamp plugged into the outlet alone with no other electronis/items plugged into the same outlet.

I set up a sub-brooder in the coop to keep them separate from the older chicks. The older chicks are skittish but curious. I'm monitoring to make sure they aren't bullying the younger ones, but I think the new brooder is tall enough to keep them away from the younger ones. I also gave them their own food and water to reduce competition.

Thats great! I had to do the same thing at first so my adult hens got used to seeing the chicks. It's inevitable for them to establish the pecking order, violently at that lol, but at least the chicks will be protected while they are growing/developing. I hatched/raised my ducks and chickens in the dead of winter, it was rough because we really couldn't put them outside for a long time. Good luck with transitioning your little babies! They look adorable.

 

[RoosterML]

Heat lamp for nighttime outside would be fine. If it’s sunny they should warm up via sunshine. If no sunshine leave lamp on.

 

[aart]

They'll be in a sheltered coop with some older chicks.

How much older?
How will you keep them separate?
How big is your coop?