Can I put my barred rocks outside now?

[marcosmommy]

I apologize if this is a stupid or repeat question, but I'm a newbie to "chickening". I live in NNY and it is around 40-50 deg during the day (but usually rainy and windy), and 30-40 deg at night. My barred rocks are 8 wks old and fully feathered. I have been keeping them in the garage in a lg box and I would like to move them to the outside coopbecause they are getting big and crowded and are pretty messy.

My husband built a "chicken hut" that is a 5x6x2ft box up on stilts with a little run going up to the entrance. 3 of the sides are coveredwith plywood, and one side is just covered with a wire mesh. The floor is also wire mesh. I was thinking I would lay some straw across the floor to insulate it a little and stack small staw bales against the wire mesh wall to keep the wind out until it warms up a little more here.

It is still pretty chilly here, but I know that barred rocks are supposed to be pretty cold hardy. Any thoughts would be greatly apprectiated

.

 

[karen71]

Is the garage around the same temp as the coop- I would probably put ome type of insulation down - I am also a bit new and when I got my 1st hens it was warm put-
hopefully someone who knows better will answer.

Good luck !

 

[sunnibunny99]

ooh!! 8 wks is great! mine were not even a month when i put them out, and theres alot of em so they just cuddle together

yeah, 8 wks. is fine, in my opinion

 

[sunnibunny99]

also...

 

[ibpboo]

It should be ok to put them out. If you want, you can let them out for a few hours each day to sort of acclimatize them first. I had mine out all night at 5 weeks and a few nights it got into the 30's, there were five of them. I started them out by a few minutes each day when they were very young and gradually increased the time each day until it was all night.

 

[marcosmommy]

Thanks for the advise! We have been putting them outside during the day and bringing them in when it starts to get dark out for the past week or so. I was all excited to get the chicks out for the night tonight after reading your posts, and then I woke up this morning and the ground was covered with snow! I'll probably wait a couple more days now before I put them out all night. Oh well, I guess thats part of living in NNY.

 

[horsegirl]

Sounds like you are doing good then!

Once they are big enough and as long as there is no snow on the ground the chickens/chicks go outside, they would much rather be there than stuck inside!