Can my chicks go outside?

[Hannahnic14]

All my chicks are roughly 6ish weeks old. Can they go outside? We usually don't raise them this early so I wasn't sure. They are mostly feathered.

Here is our forecast for the next 10 days as well.

 

[3KillerBs]

Yes, with proper acclimation. Last spring I had some 4-week-old chicks given to me who were fully-feathered and off heat in 40F nights and they were fine -- because they'd been raised outside and were acclimated.

But if they'd been raised in constant warmth rather than just having their warm place in the unheated garage brooder they would not have been ready for it.

Can you give them a nighttime heat source in their coop for the next week?

 

[Hannahnic14]

Yes, with proper acclimation. Last spring I had some 4-week-old chicks given to me who were fully-feathered and off heat in 40F nights and they were fine -- because they'd been raised outside and were acclimated.

But if they'd been raised in constant warmth rather than just having their warm place in the unheated garage brooder they would not have been ready for it.

Can you give them a nighttime heat source in their coop for the next week?

Here is the full set up, the storage building they are in is unheated. We don't have a way to run electricity to our outside coop.

Should I start turning off the heat in the brooder? Unless it's in the 30's, they haven't been congregating under the heat lamp. Mainly "sunbathing" under it. Lol

 

[Brooks_]

I'd move that water off to a corner away from the heat. It looks like most of the birds want nothing to do with the heat. What's the temp under and away from the heat?

 

[Hannahnic14]

I'd move that water off to a corner away from the heat. It looks like most of the birds want nothing to do with the heat. What's the temp under and away from the heat?

I had just got through cleaning out the Shavings so they were upset with me. It was 16 the other night and I just haven't raised the lamps yet.

 

[swamphiker]

Should I start turning off the heat in the brooder?

Yes, you will need to turn of the heat, but you may need to raise the lamps gradually for several days before turning them off since the area where the chickens are is probably much warmer than the shed would be without heat at all.

Although these chicks are fully feathered, they will be used to the hot brooder, so by raising the lamps gradually before turning them off and eventually moving them outside, you will help them adjust to the ambient temperatures. For future sets of chicks, you can start doing this earlier in the chicks' lives so that they are already used to relatively cool temperatures before being put outdoors.

 

[Hannahnic14]

Yes, you will need to turn of the heat, but you may need to raise the lamps gradually for several days before turning them off since the area where the chickens are is probably much warmer than the shed would be without heat at all.

Although these chicks are fully feathered, they will be used to the hot brooder, so by raising the lamps gradually before turning them off and eventually moving them outside, you will help them adjust to the ambient temperatures. For future sets of chicks, you can start doing this earlier in the chicks' lives so that they are already used to relatively cool temperatures before being put outdoors.

sounds like a plan, thanks! Yea we don't usually raise chicks this early. I just raised the heat lamps and will continue to do so this week until they don't need them.

 

[3KillerBs]

Yes, you will need to turn of the heat, but you may need to raise the lamps gradually for several days before turning them off since the area where the chickens are is probably much warmer than the shed would be without heat at all.

Yes, that's what I was going to say.

Let them adjust over the next week.