Can I put 4-wk-old chicks out in coop? 35 degrees at night

[eggspletive!]

My three chicks are almost 4 weeks old. It's been getting down to 35 at night. Can I put them out in their coop with a red heat lamp? They do fine inside with the temp at about 70, but that's an awfully big jump in temperature. On the other hand, they're starting to go a little batty in their brooder and I'd really like to get them out of the house.

 

[klevesque]

I'll be in the same boat as you soon. I'm interested in the responses you get.

 

[gritsar]

If you can keep the coop or a small area of it to temp. needed for their age - 75 to 80 for four week olds - and the coop is draft free, then yes.
Depending on the size of your coop, you might want to consider keeping them confined in a small portion of it, so that they can't wander too far from the heat lamp.
My chicks were in a draft free shed, confined to a brooder, from day one in April, average nighttime temps. in the 40s.

 

[bigoakhunter]

I put mine out from basement to coop in Michigan when they were 2 1/2 weeks old. They will be 5 weeks on Tuesday. They are doing just fine. I put 250 watt red light in coop for warmth. Some wait awhile longer/ But by 4 weeks they should do just fine in coop with a light for a few weeks.

 

[labhaven]

My chicks turned 4 weeks old today I finished up the interior painting yesterday. Just waiting for it to dry and air out any paint fumes. I think I'm going to shoot for Friday afternoon to move them from their brooder inside my house to their new coop inside my barn. I weaned them from their 250W infrared heat lamp over the weekend. They are hanging out at room tempurature now which is around 70 degrees. I'm sure its a little warmer in their enclosed brooder. I left a 40W bulb on in the room to start adjusting them to more darkness at night. I think I better pick up a 125W infrared heat lamp to provide them some overnight heat as its dipping into the upper 40's/low 50's at night here now. There are no drafts in the coop but I think it would be too much of a shock to their system for such a dramatic change in temp. This is my first batch of chicks so I'm learning as I go!

 

[Germaine_11.20]

I put mine out there and it has been just as cold. They are doing fine.

Give them enough space to get out of the heat or under it as needed.

 

[eggspletive!]

Well, I put them out last night! The thermometer was reading 66 toward the edge of the light, which is quite a bit colder than they're used to, but every time I went out to check on them they were doing fine.

It was like a honky tonk out there when I went out to check on them in the middle of the night--chickens hopping all around in the glowing red light, eating and drinking and carousing. They seem really happy to have more space.