Can i boot the 7 week olds outside?

[FrostRanger]

I love having them inside. I snuggle them nightly lol. But I grow tired about 6 weeks. I lasted to 12 weeks with the first set, 10 with the second but they were spring and summer chickens. This winter stuff for babies is new to me.

By 6 weeks old they should be ready to go outside. Some like myself do it earlier, but unless you have nowhere else for them to go, there's no reason to keep them inside longer

 

[WingItRanch]

Do I need to bring them back in? Please say no lol

This made me laugh. I definitely get it! I thought it was a good idea to use the guest bathroom as a brooder for mine this spring. I loved being able to see them grow and just watch them for hours but the dust! It was a mess. I was so ready that I kicked them out at 5 weeks. They still had fuzz left and were probably a week away from being fully feathered but I had enough (it was warmer at this point). They were fine!

 

[Nicci0110]

This made me laugh. I definitely get it! I thought it was a good idea to use the guest bathroom as a brooder for mine this spring. I loved being able to see them grow and just watch them for hours but the dust! It was a mess. I was so ready that I kicked them out at 5 weeks. They still had fuzz left and were probably a week away from being fully feathered but I had enough (it was warmer at this point). They were fine!

My first set stayed inside for 12 or 13 weeks because my coop wasnt done. Omg it was rough

 

[BigBlueHen53]

We brood ours inside for three weeks. We usually get them very early in the spring. VERY early. Lol. Like late Feb, early March. During those three weeks we use puppy pee pads, changed every evening, and there is no dust. At the end of three weeks they go outside into a Rubbermaid storage shed, mostly kept closed except that we open the top during the day unless it's raining. As someone said, they huddle if they get cold. At about five weeks we open the doors during the day and let them explore the world unless it's wet, snowing or really cold. They share a fence with the big girls so at eight weeks we open the gate that separates them and integrate them with the adults. Basically we only wait that long to keep them safe from the cats who might otherwise think, Oh yum! Baby birds!

 

[rosemarythyme]

My last 3 batches of chicks weren't even allowed to look inside the garage for more than 5 seconds, nevermind the house! They go straight from the car and into the brooder in the run.