Brooder to Coop

[nicschickens]

I just prepared my coop today and was wondering when to do the big move. The chicks will be 3 weeks on Wednesday. I have the current temp. between 80-85 degrees. I am lowering the temp. weekly and wondering when to move them. I only have 3 chicks that seem like they want out!

Any tips or suggestions? Thank you!

 

[Cowgirl71]

They say you can reduce the temperature by 5 degrees each week. What are your overnight lows? You can then do the math, and that's when they're old enough to go outside. You could move them out sooner though if you were to put their heat lamp in the coop, assuming the coop is fairly airtight.

 

[nicschickens]

Thanks! Right now my lows are in the 50's. It is supposed to get warmer by April though. Do you think that would be a good time to move them? They will be 5 weeks by then.

 

[Cowgirl71]

Thanks! Right now my lows are in the 50's. It is supposed to get warmer by April though. Do you think that would be a good time to move them? They will be 5 weeks by then. 

As long as the lows are in the mid 60s or better, or you provide a heat lamp, then yes, they should be fine to move out then.

You'll want to continue to decrease the temperature in the brooder down to within a few degrees of their new home. This will also cause them to feather in faster (the feathers keep them much warmer than the fuzz).

The overnight lows here are actually in the 50s as well. I just received some chicks from a hatchery Friday, and I'm keeping them outside from day 1. However, I am keeping them in a stock tank, using a heavy blanket to insulate the sides and another blanket covering the top during the night, and half of the top during the day. With the heat lamp inside, it is nice and cozy-warm in there! Everybody's chipper and doing great. I mention this just to say that you could move them out now, if you wanted to, so long as you keep their new home nice and warm and draft-free for them. I used to brood chicks indoors, but the copious dust they create is insane, so I've switched to brooding them outside.

 

[nicschickens]

Ok thanks so much!