Are these chicks too small to go outside yet?

[RonC]

Let me guess, they are waiting at the gate ready to come in.Just put them in their coop and close the door after dark. You can put a small light in the coop to encourage them to go in on their own and they will quieten down with the light on. Might have to do it a few nights but they will learn.Took mine 3 nights and they were going in by themselves.

 

[MonsterClucker]

I have 4 week old chicks that I have been putting outside during the day in a penned in area away from the bigger chickens. They have a safe enclosed coop with all the comforts of home...For the last two nights, when It starts to get late, they start peeping so loud I can hear them on the proch. I am worried they are going to attract unwanted attention so I have been bringing them in to their indoor cage. Should I just let them " cry " themselves out?  They are very imprinted on me and follow me around their pen..

 

My chicks were also peeping loudly I thought maybe attract attention. If you have dogs that can sleep outside that is awesome! If not maybe get a baby monitor or just some walkie talkies with one of them constantly engaged so you can hear them. If your pen is secure you should be ok.

 

[thumper4269]

okay, so I put the chicks out early today and have set up a red light for them and have some solar lights around. They are spending the night outside. It is in the high 60's and they have a small dog crate with shavings and there are 4 chicks so they will be warm. Just feel bad because every time I get close they start peeping and running to the door...Feel like a heartless mommy..;-)

 

[silkiemomma28]

I also live in Texas. I let my chicks out for short periods, it is HOT here in Texas. When I did move the to the outside, we had a heat lamp with a thermometer that regulated the lamp on and off. We also put a back up thermometer to verify temperatures inside and outside the house. I keep the inside of my house cool. We closed the vent in the bathroom so a/c would not cool things down. The heat lamp was on auto in there too. I finally realized that the inside of my house was cooler than the outside, so we moved them out. They loved it! There are so curious. I read several opinions from this amazingly informative site and then, I just followed my instinct by watching my chicks. Observation and close attention will give you the best answer. I think the breed might make a difference too. I read BYC guide to raising baby chicks for 1.5 years before we got out chicks. I wanted to be a good mamma. You will be too!

 

[Texasmja]

I am in Texas also, I usually keep them inside the first 10 days and then move them outside, so far they have all thrived and done well. They seem to feather out faster too. If it is cold out I will put a light up for warmth. They really love to be outside scratching around and running with whatever they think they found... chasing each other, LOL.

 

[silkiemomma28]

I agree with the other Texan, I think they feather out more rapidly. As far as peeping, it is a way of calling out to each other. Everyone confirms that they are all together (at least that what it seems like to me). I think they are calling out for you because they imprinted on you. That is super sweet and what people, like me, who raise chickens as pets want. When we moved ours outside, it was funny, they knew at dusk, to walk up the ramp to go nestle in. We had shown them the coop and helped then walk the ramp (we put guard rails on each side - see my photo). We had the heat lamp on auto in there. The ceiling was high enough so that there was no risk of being burned by the lamp. Once we closed the doors to the coop/house, we hung a canvas drape (we cut it out of clean, unused drop cloth from Home Depot and put gromets in each end) on tea cup hooks that we screwed into each side of the house. My brother's girlfriend has birds and that is what she does at night to quiet them down. Mine were not peeping loudly, just to each other as they insured each and every member was present. A cloth that still allows venting (we have other sources of venting in our house) helped them settle. I hope that helps. You are not a bad momma.

 

[Eggnog101]

They're so cute!