can my chicks come out the light yet?

[chickadee101]

they are 4 weeks old and i am wanting to go ahead and let them come out. BUT! they will still have access to the light whenever needed! i just want to let them in a room i have connected to the brooder. is it ok yet? i'm NOT letting them free roam in the actual coop yet, just the little room connected to the brooder! i will put some pics up of it tomorrow.

 

[ellie32526]

they are 4 weeks old and i am wanting to go ahead and let them come out. BUT! they will still have access to the light whenever needed! i just want to let them in a room i have connected to the brooder. is it ok yet? i'm NOT letting them free roam in the actual coop yet, just the little room connected to the brooder! i will put some pics up of it tomorrow.

Mine outgrew the large cardboard box I was using as a brooder at three weeks so I put them loose in my henhouse. It has no pop door yet so they had way more room and no drafts. I kept the light on them at night but off during the day. I would say let the chicks tell you whether they are ready or not. If they huddle together for warmth that will tell you they are too cold. but if you put them in a bigger place and they just wander around and peck at stuff that will tell you they are warm enough. Also the noises they make gives you an indiction of whether they are content or upset/stressed.

 

[cafarmgirl]

Sure. At 4 weeks old they could even spend some time in their coop if they can get in out of the weather and maybe have a heat lamp if the weather is cold. Mine start going outside in a pen for several hours a day, weather permitting, when they are about 3 weeks old.

 

[flo12345]

How warm is it out where you are?
And are they going to be running around the house? Or outside? I was a little confused there....

If they have access to going back to warmth and your keeping an eye on them they should be okay depending on the temperature outside. I let my babies run around the kitchen a few days after i brought them home, but they were never out long periods of time. When they were 1 or 2 weeks (so hard to remember now how old they were) I would let them run around in the basement in a puppy pen.
Post some pics if you can! =D

 

[moomin]

hi
just adding to this, If they are to hot they will struggle around the edge of the coop trying to escape the light and flapping about, if so you need to make it cooler and make sure that they have the perfect condition and to make it a little cooler every day until it is off. It should take another month until they are fully ready. new chicks..... what shall I get? is my thread please see it, it is on the raising baby chicks page and at the moment (I will update this) is on the fourth page

 

[farmboy22]

4 weeks old is plenty.

 

[chickadee101]

ok thanks!

 

[chickadee101]

i will get some pics of what i did today or tomorrow! it will most likely be tomorrow though...

but if i have the time i will get them today!

 

[flo12345]

Yaaay! =D

 

[moomin]

do not mean to argue but to come out fully and run around outside and be with the older hens/roosters they need to be two months old. Sorry if that offended you or if that made you annoyed but it's what I think and we can agree to disagree, right?
moo