Best Age to Introduce to Coop?

[ThornyRidge]

I have a mixed bag (large and bantam) of 12 pullets in my basement that are now approximately 6.5-7 weeks old... all are fully feathered ( one is late with some feathers coming in on back) but no downy fluff left on anyone! Amazing how fast these buggers grow! Anyway I am in NE Ohio where despite some weather in 70s/80s in this freakish spring, it still has been cold at night! When would be a good time to put this crew out to coop? I am not cleaning there brooding box out every few days because of smell issues! Not to mention how much dust they are putting off in the room they are in! I don't have anyway to utilize heat in the coop they are going into.. Also they will be locked in their own coop for awhile before being introduced to rest of the flock (much older hens and roos)! I plan on putting a thick layer of pine shavings down in the coop when they go out but just not sure when to do this.. I would prefer if possible soon because with the size they are and the mess they now create it is becoming a chore!!! Advice???

 

[TinkyFeathers]

I built a seperate pen inside my coop, not anything fancy, just stapled some chicken wire to the walls and ceiling lol but it works. I moved the chicks out there when they were 6 weeks old because like you said they are just so messy! I think even though its a little cold, they'd be fine. I had a roost in the pen and they were able to fly up on it if I remember right... and something else that was really easy for me was when I put the chicken wire in, i put the waterer under it so half was on the big hens side and half was on the chicks side, it made it really easy to feed them and stuff. That's just how I did by 12 weeks I know I had them mixed in the with the big flock. They got used to eachother through the screen and it worked out for me!

but in short, I think it'd be fine to move them out! lol

 

[BackyardCoop]

We are doing the same thing right now. We let them run around with the bigger ones while we are outside to watch them and put them back in their section at night where the big ones can still see and hear them but cannot get to them. We will probably put them together and grit our teeth in a few weeks. Ours are only about 3 weeks old though. I think you should be fine. They might pick on them but it's normal so the new ones learn the pecking order in the coop.

 

[bailey352]

I just built a coop, and tonight is my chicks first night in it. They are not fully feathered and they are two weeks old. I am hoping that its okay for them to be out at this age??? Its going to be in the mid 50's F tonight... and i'm worried.

 

[chickmom1304]

Mine are 3 weeks old tomorrow and partially feathered. I have 6 in a 4x8 closed coop. They have a heat lamp on one end with a 250 watt bulb. They have thick pine bedding. They have been out for 4 nights now, with temps dropping outside to 32 degrees at night, up to 50-60 during the day. They are fine and seem to love their new housing.

 

[rgearhead]

I will be following along, my 2 chicks are 3 1/2 weeks old but growing fast' hoping i can move them out doors by 6 weeks... im in the burbs of Chicago, so still cool at night ranging from 40 to 50* at night ...



thanks Bob...

 

[TonySorrento]

I have a mixed bag (large and bantam) of 12 pullets in my basement that are now approximately 6.5-7 weeks old... all are fully feathered ( one is late with some feathers coming in on back) but no downy fluff left on anyone! Amazing how fast these buggers grow! Anyway I am in NE Ohio where despite some weather in 70s/80s in this freakish spring, it still has been cold at night! When would be a good time to put this crew out to coop? I am not cleaning there brooding box out every few days because of smell issues! Not to mention how much dust they are putting off in the room they are in! I don't have anyway to utilize heat in the coop they are going into.. Also they will be locked in their own coop for awhile before being introduced to rest of the flock (much older hens and roos)! I plan on putting a thick layer of pine shavings down in the coop when they go out but just not sure when to do this.. I would prefer if possible soon because with the size they are and the mess they now create it is becoming a chore!!! Advice???

They are definitely ready!!! Get them in their big space .. mine are a week younger than yours and our temps are colder and they have been in the coop since Thursday ....GO FOR IT!!!

I just built a coop, and tonight is my chicks first night in it. They are not fully feathered and they are two weeks old. I am hoping that its okay for them to be out at this age??? Its going to be in the mid 50's F tonight... and i'm worried.

PLEASE tell me you have heat in your coop?????

 

[bailey352]

TonySorrento: No heat lamp! I feel so bad now. Im very new at this. I put them outside because they learned to fly and they pooped EVERYWHERE!!!! I'm going to either give them a lamp or bring them inside now.

 

[TonySorrento]

At two weeks they need a warm spot to go when they get cold ... they will be fine if you get a lamp out in the coop so they can hit the 80ish degrees they need at times ....

 

[bailey352]

Thanks for the info