Bay Area BYCers!

[lawatt]

once they have all their feathers they can be their own down blanket. They are good till under freezing. After that you want to watch they can be fine if they are used to it have a goodd coop and friends.

ditto -- i've put chicks outdoors in unheated pens as early as 4 weeks old, and they've all done fine, even in quite cold (for the bay area) temps. chickens are tough critters.

 

[gtwallichs]

Thanks everyone for all the info. I brought them back into the house at 8pm and I'm not using a heat lamp tonight or any longer at all, to get them acclimated. They turned 5 weeks old today, so I figured that I'll let them sleep in the house for one more week and then move them permanently outside at 6 weeks old.

 

[dldolan]

That sounds like a good compromise for the next week. Although it's supposed to be in the 80's (up here) for the next week, so having them in the house may not "harden them off" very much!
Good luck!

 

[Thorn]

GT, nice coop where did you get it?

 

[jeremy]

A few pics from today... it seems like all of my younger birds are growing like weeds!

Blue pullet, really liking this girl.





Mauve pair... chicken kisses!

The Mauve cockerel is starting to show interest in the hens he's with, finally.



Mauve pullet.



& not the greatest pic, but this is my main breeding roo for this season, a Black split Choc male. I call him Hector.

 

[Honora]

Beautiful birds! I love the blue pullets, can't wait till mine grow up!

 

[jeremy]

Thanks @Honora ! Did you ever get bantam Orps?

 

[Honora]

Thanks @Honora ! Did you ever get bantam Orps?

Yes, got my 12 chicks yesterday! They are cute but I can only keep a few. I'll have to downsize in a few weeks for sure.

 

[gtwallichs]

Ok, with it being in the 80s for the rest of the week and the weekend and early next week, I decided to let them sleep outside. I chickened out a bit after checking on them every 15 mins and they are just chilling on the roost in the run. I couldn't figure out how to get them to go into the coop to stay warm, so I threw a tarp over the length of the run to keep it a little less drafty. There is still 6" between the run and the house that's open and the two ends. So there is plenty of fresh air, just wanted to keep it a few degrees warmer. I am afraid that something will happen temp wise and I know I won't be able to sleep tonight. I don't want to loose any of them. I'm such a nervous first time mother hen. Haha.

 

[dldolan]

Mine are all on the outside roosts tonight...good fresh air! I'm more worried about the mountain lion we heard an hour ago...