Are these chicks too small to go outside yet?

[MonsterClucker]

Tonights low is 63F. We are gonna try tonight with no heat lamp and see how things work.
It's really not the night time when its cool. Sometimes its 70-80F until 12-1am. It's the early morning from 3-6am when it drops down to No Lower than 61F, then it warms right up to around 70F by 8am.

I guess I might wake up and do a EARLY EARLY morning check around 3am and see if they are cold or not. Sound good?

 

[ButchGood]

They are better off outside. I always put my chicks out at about 2 weeks old.

 

[MonsterClucker]

They are better off outside. I always put my chicks out at about 2 weeks old.

Thanks for the confirmation!

Well they we outside all night last night. They were all doing good huddled up together when I checked on them. This morning they were up at about 5am ready to eat and play! So I guess this is gonna be my summertime plan to put the meaties out at this age now.

Thanks guys!

 

[imisabellab]

I agree with HowFunky: I used to keep mine in until 6 or 7 weeks, but with each batch I've been putting them out earlier and seem to get much healthier chickens for it. I put them out at about 3 weeks now and keep an eye on them temp wise (run a heat lamp if it is super cold or windy) but during the summer the heat is a worse risk than the cold.

Edited to say...mine are freerange at 3 weeks with plenty (and I mean plenty) of shelter both from my adult chickens and from predators/elements. It is so adorable to see a 3 week old chick dustbathing or chasing bugs in the grass.

Same here! 3 weeks is the minimum I usually put my chicks outside. Glad to see they're happy and healthy, keep up on checking the temperature outside

 

[chickenlovex3]

we had our chicks inside for about 2 months, and still had a heat lamp in our coop for another week.

 

[foulplay]

I live in Canada so we don't really see it to hot compared to Texas but this July I put out a batch of about 100 meat birds after only two weeks of being in the brooder. It was just way to hot for them and they are the best out of all three batches this year. I think as soon as they feather out to put them out. Works for me.

 

[chickenbythesea]

wow... I put mine out in the coop (with a heat lamp) at 2 days. I just wait to make sure they're not stressed from the trip home. I have to say, I have very healthy birds and I haven't had single one die once they're out in the coop. I did have one die the first day home but he was sickly in the car so I didn't have much homes for that little one. I think they more they're outside the more hardy they are.

 

[ButchGood]

Mine would go out everyday at 5 days old, but back in the brooder at night in early spring. At 2 weeks old they went to the coop, coop was empty, no adult birds. I kept a lamp in the corner for a week. I noticed the chicks weren't using it. At 3 weeks they had full access to the run, no lamp, and living like adult birds.

 

[MonsterClucker]

Theyvebeen outside for 2 full nights now. It seems they go to sleep faster without the heat lamk constantly on all the time. They also are starting to get dirty! Lol but all in all I think it was a good move.

And the 10 BR chicks still in the brooder seem to be A LOT happier now that they are not being shoved around by the monsterous meaties!

I'm thinking about building a outdoor brooder with a small run so I can do all my brooding outdoors.

 

[thumper4269]

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..