Can I put my chicks out during the day?

[king4]

For those of you that let your chicks our in the yard during the day what keeps them from flying away or running away?

We have 5 chicks that are about 5 weeks old. They spent there first night in the garage last night without a heat light. It was 54 degrees at 6AM this morning so I hope they didn't get too cold. I turned on the heat lamp this morning and the temp got up to 65 pretty fast.

We live in a small subdivision with houses all around us. Everyone has a 6' privacy fence around their lot. I'm worried that if I were to let them in the back yard they would fly away or somehow get to somewhere where I couldn't get them. I've read that full grown chickens can jump/fly 6 to 8 feet. I have no idea how high or far these girls could go, but I don't want to take any chances - 2 neighbors have big dogs.

Three questions
1. Is 54 degrees too cold at night at 5 wks old?
2. Will they fly away over a 6' fence?
3. Can they see in the pitch black of night like some other animals can?

Thank you.

I put mine outside in their coop at about 6 weeks old and the temps dropped down in the high 30's low 40's and they did just fine. When it comes to flying or hopping over the privacy fence, Im not sure, mine havent tried to do anything like that but I know to keep them from flying you clip one of their wings. I have heard that chickens will hop up on things such as low limbs in a tree and keep working their way up until they get where they want, not sure if clipping a wing would prevent that or not.As far as night time goes, growing up Ive alwas been told that they can NOT see in the dark and from what I can tell this is true cause every evening when it starts getting dark mine go straight in their coop and bed down. Hope ive been some kind of help.Good luck on your transition.

 

[ohb]

I have ISA Browns that are 6 weeks old. I think they are fully feathered. They are getting too big for the dog cage they were growing up in. I put them in an exercise yard in my basement so they can stretch their wings. The problem is they are getting comfortable and can fly OUT of the exercise yard, so now they just walk all around the basement whenever they please. I know I should put a board on the top of the exercise yard to keep them in.

Anyway......I was wondering if they are old enough to go outside in their coop/run during the day. It is only 60 degrees out during the day in chilly Ohio right now. Is that too cold for them? I don't mind bringing them in at night. I just feel bad that they are getting big and really want to run around. I have already put them outside when it is 70 or warmer, but this weather is NOT getting up to 70 again anytime soon. Me and these chickens are getting impatient.

My coop protects them from the wind and critters, and I have a yellow floodlight in there for warmth so I coop them from day one. I used to keep them inside the house for several weeks but it's so much easier and cleaner to coop them. That may not be feasible for everyone, though.

 

[Mehjr10]

No not to cold they will do fine outside.. Only if there is something that interest them more on the other side, so give them what they need and you should be good. If needed you can cut the primary flight feathers on one wing, but i would wait to see what they do.. A friend of mine lives in town and his two hens stay in the backyard no problems so far. Don't know how well they can see but when the light starts getting low mine are on the roost ready for the night.

Good Luck.

 

[KayTee]

For those of you that let your chicks our in the yard during the day what keeps them from flying away or running away?

We have 5 chicks that are about 5 weeks old. They spent there first night in the garage last night without a heat light. It was 54 degrees at 6AM this morning so I hope they didn't get too cold. I turned on the heat lamp this morning and the temp got up to 65 pretty fast.

We live in a small subdivision with houses all around us. Everyone has a 6' privacy fence around their lot. I'm worried that if I were to let them in the back yard they would fly away or somehow get to somewhere where I couldn't get them. I've read that full grown chickens can jump/fly 6 to 8 feet. I have no idea how high or far these girls could go, but I don't want to take any chances - 2 neighbors have big dogs.

Three questions
1. Is 54 degrees too cold at night at 5 wks old?
2. Will they fly away over a 6' fence?
3. Can they see in the pitch black of night like some other animals can?

Thank you.

My store-bought chicks are 10 days old now, but I put them with a hen that had gone broody, so she's taking full care of them. They've been out in the coop since day one, but with a 'mum' (albeit a surrogate one) to keep them warm at night, so even though it got down to 1°c last night (about 30°f), they were fine this morning. As long as they are fully feathered, I wouldn't have thought that 54°f was too cold for them, especially if they are in a coop where they can huddle together.

With regard to the fence, my experience is that an 18-inch high fence wil stop a grazing chicken from straying on to next-door's land, but even 6' fence won't necessarily stop a determined (or extremely panicked) chicken from getting where it wants to be. As long as your chickens are happy where they are, with plenty to keep them occupied, they're not likely to put a lot of effort into flying over a fence. Mine don't even attempt to get over the 18" high net that separates my back garden from the field next door. However, when Cinders (a large Marans hybrid, who is usually too ungainly to even get off the ground) got separated from the others behind a 4' high fence, she got so panicked and desperate that she managed to fly over it without even a running start! Personally, unless you are having a problem with them getting out of where they should be, I would never clip their wings - all that does is prevent them getting away from a predator, should one ever get into your yard.

As far as night vision goes, there is something about the dark that makes chickens completely docile. Mine free range all day, and I can't get near them to pick them up. Night time in the coop is completely different - the only time I can pick them up and check them over, as they are completely dopey. I wouldn't give them credit for any night vision at all!!!

 

[kwhit]

My chicklets are gonna be 8 weeks tomorrow. I just finished the finishing touches on their coop fort knoxx. I put them outside for the first time yesterday in the afternoon while it was warm.
I swear those little bodies are warmer than me anyway! They spent their first night in their new coop. I was a little worried too that they may not be warm enough cuz our nights in Massachussetts are still down in the lower 30's. I put their heat light in the coop just in case. The coop looked like the Washington Monument all lit up! I don't know why but I woke up at 2:30 this morning and started thinking about them. I looked out my window and the light was out! I thought oh maybe the GFCI outlet tripped, but it didn't. I check the plug at the coop and it was still plugged in...puzzled I shined a flashlight in the coop to check on them and they were just fine. 3 were roosting on the poles the other three were on the floor I guess but I couldn't see them and didn't want to alarm them either. I went back to bed and guess what? I check ed them at 8 a.m. and they were fine. Today I will work on finishing their upper pen sides and fence in the top. Then we'll be good to go

 

[redneckgranny]

I have some silkies at 2-4 weeks old. I keep losing 1 a day. How high should the light be from them. They seem to be cold. I put my hand in right above thier heads and it gets hot fast. I am not having any luck with silkies at this age at all. Anyone?? THANKS!

 

[king4]

I have some silkies at 2-4 weeks old. I keep losing 1 a day. How high should the light be from them. They seem to be cold. I put my hand in right above thier heads and it gets hot fast. I am not having any luck with silkies at this age at all. Anyone?? THANKS!

i dont have silkies but when my chicks was under lamp i kept the lamp about 20 inches above them and had no problems. hope all goes well for you

 

[Lachap]

Yes,I know the feeling....I put mine out during the day as long as it is over 60 ,but bring them in at night...

 

[AngieUpNorth]

I'm a newbie but I was told to keep a thermometer under the light. During the first week, at chick level, it shoud be between 90 and 95. Reduce the temperature at chick level by 5 degrees for every week of life. Sorry about your chicks... Hope this help.

 

[AngieUpNorth]

I'm a newbie but I was told to keep a thermometer under the light. During the first week, at chick level, it shoud be between 90 and 95. Reduce the temperature at chick level by 5 degrees for every week of life. Sorry about your chicks... Hope this help.