Can I put my chicks out during the day?

[newburt]

I would wean them off the lamp. It wont take more than a couple of days. They will learn when the lamp is off they will huddle and go to sleep at night. just unplug it during the day to start with and within a couple days they should be fine. they need to get used to regulating their own temp.

 

[newburt]

If they are fully feathered ( this means a layer of hard feathers over their down chick feathers) then they should be fine in those temps.

 

[bj taylor]

Just read this entire thread....gives me comfort in moving them outside but I need some guidance please. I have 11 little ones almost 4 weeks old and about ready for them to go out....they need more space and the temps are warmer. My main question is how to do you move them in and out? I mean to take them from the brooder to the outdoors and then back? It seems to me that it would be like herding kittens....they just go where they want. How do you get them back? Do they just follow you or do you "call" them?
Guess you can tell I am a complete newbie at this...no experience with chickens at all.
I have a chicken tractor that I want to put them in for the day, but it is not really secure or warm enough for night long stays. I wonder how to get them out of the tractor for the night until I get the coop, fence, and run together.
Any ideas or information would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks so much
Murphy

this has been a fun thread to read. this one catches my eye because i'm always moving my gang in & out for various reasons I won't go into. my chicks or chickens as the case may be have to be herded. I use a broom. I herd slowly, otherwise they panic & can hurt themselves. I give them space, they need to think it's their idea that they're going where you want them to go. my chickens have learned when I have the broom in my hand it means everybody has to get moving.
when the chicks were younger & not fully feathered I let them go outside but I kept a place w/the heat lamp on & out of the wind where they could hang out & warm up when they wanted to. it worked really well. as they got older & the weather warmed up the heat lamp was raised & ultimately turned off. they're in for a surprise cold spell the next couple of days, but they've got some good feathers on them now & they're in the coop now, not the brooder.

 

[newburt]

I agree with you. I think 4 weeks is still a little too young to handle 40 degree nights and possible moisture and draft. 6 weeks is where I believe to be a safe range when you are pretty sure they are fully feathered.

 

[DEBUS CHICKS]

My chicks hatched the first week in March, Missouri is going to have 39 degree highs tomorrow with some rain, can they handle it? I have only had them outside for one week. I have 4 that are three weeks younger, I think I will bring them in for the day.

 

[coopmaid]

Just read this entire thread....gives me comfort in moving them outside but I need some guidance please.  I have 11 little ones almost 4 weeks old and about ready for them to go out....they need more space and the temps are warmer.  My main question is how to do you move them in and out?  I mean to take them from the brooder to the outdoors and then back?  It seems to me that it would be like herding kittens....they just go where they want.  How do you get them back? Do they just follow you or do you "call" them?
Guess you can tell I am a complete newbie at this...no experience with chickens at all.
I have a chicken tractor that I want to put them in for the day, but it is not really secure or warm  enough for night long stays.  I wonder how to get them out of the tractor for the night until I get the coop, fence, and run together.
Any ideas or information would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks so much
Murphy

 

When I want to move the group chicks from one area inside the barn to another .....I use a long width cardboard about 3' 4' feet ...... I hold it close to ground and drive all the chicks together ....if one strays .... It is easier to catch then a bunch. Hope this helps.

 

[coopmaid]

I have a 4 stage system that i use..... after a chick is born we place them into large aquariums with heat-lamps and shavings for bedding. they will remain there until 3-4 weeks. Then i have built three rooms inside my 12x12 horse stall with 2x4s and have inclosed top and sides with chicken wire. ....access doors two. I put the 3-4 weekers into one section and as they grow 8-16 week into the teenager room and the finishing room before going into adult coop 16-20 weeks. this method allows me to feed the medicated feed to young chicks and grower/finisher to the teens. i let the 8 week up out daily for recess 6 hours....amazing hey know where their room is at night.... no catching or rounding up. i never leave them out at night...

 

[reelsvillechick]

I put my chicks out in their coop at 4 & 6 weeks. If it gets chilly; I have a heatlamp. They are all doing fine & love the freedom!

 

[CarlyChick]

Our girls are 9 weeks old now (sigh, where does the time go?!?) and Minnesota is going through a COLD spurt again - its snowing. Our girls are fully feathered though, and I still get anxious about them at night, where it's hitting the low 30s but they're doing just great in their coop. The heat lamp still comes on during the night when we know it will be below 30. I can't believe I am saying that, in MAY!! Still, they just figured out how to get from their run up the ramp into their elevated coop, so I guess our babies aren't babies anymore!

We put them out full-time two weeks ago when it was consistently in the 30s and they've done just great. We didn't see any huddling or stressed behavior. Remember, Ma Ingalls didn't keep her chickens in the house, and as much as we love our girls they're built tough and can handle weather that seems very cold to us.

 

[king4]

My chicks hatched the first week in March, Missouri is going to have 39 degree highs tomorrow with some rain, can they handle it? I have only had them outside for one week. I have 4 that are three weeks younger, I think I will bring them in for the day

When it comes to the temp in the mid to high 30's I dont see any reason why they couldn't handle it. My chicks where born around the same time and they have been outside permanantly for the past 3 weeks. During those 3 weeks here in Ohio we've seen some crazy weather, with the lowest of around 28 and the highest being today of around 81. Now when it comes to the rain I believe as long as they have some kind of shelter to get in or under they should be fine,I've always heard chickens dont like being wet.