Can someone PLEASE help this new to chickens owner

[bevis]

I have 12- 4 week old RIR chicks in a big plastic tote on my kitchen table. They are starting to get real rowdy in there.
Yesterday i set up a 6' x 10' X 6' dog kennel in the backyard next to the monster coop im building and covered
the top of it with 1" square plastic fencing to stop attacks from above. on the bottom 3 feet of the pen kennel sides
i covered with plastic poultry fencing.

i need to know if its ok to go ahead and take them out and put them in there
during the day while im out there working on their coop. my concern is that they are in too small of a container to be
in there 24 hours a day. a local farmer told me to put up a temp structure and boot them outside during the day and
bring them in at night. i live in florida and its in the 60's this morning and going into the high 70's today. my concern is that i dont want to thermal shock them.

i turned off their 250 watt heat light yesterday to try and get them used to cooler temps before i put them outside during the day. the farmer that i talked to said that in a small environment like i have them in, at 4 weeks old, can lead to fights and sickness. them temp in the house is between 78 and 80 constantly but obviously its been hotter in their plastic tote because of the heat lamp. the farmer also said that they are more hardy than i think. can anyone with experience PLEASE advise ma as to wether i can put them out in 60's and 70's temps TODAY? it sounds like they may be fighting inside that tote. farmer also suggested that i get a portable dog kennel to coral them into when the sun starts to go down and bring them inside the house for the night and then boot them back outside into the kennel for the entire day until i get the coop finished. farmer said this would give me the time i need to finish the coop.

i just now finished roofing the coop and i only have the frame of the coop and run built.
the coop is 10' x 10' x 8' and the run is 10' x 28' x 8' . i have A LOT of work to do to complete this chicken condo.
any help would be greatly appreciated as i need to do something NOW. if i cant take them out then i need to go get a giant container at tractor supply TODAY.

 

[fiddlebanshee]

They'll be fine. They are a lot hardier than you think, just observe them.

Also you may want to enclose part of the kennel in a tarp to serve as a windbreak, and have it go over the top so that they can get out of the rain. Or put a tote turned sideways in the kennel so that they can go in there and get out of the weather if they need to.

 

[PunkyReid]

Hello,
I am new to chickens to. I did find this link for you it may help, It may not. http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/chickcare.html Sorry I couldn't be of more help to you.

 

[Alarmguy66]

I am right there with you and seeing the same thing. Mine are the same age and breed, have almost all their adult feathers, and are going out to the coop full time this weekend. My brooder is 4x4x2 (LxWxH) and the six RIR pullets just are not happy in there anymore, leading to altercations in the bunch. The coop outside is 11x6x8, and they LOVE spending the day out there. Here in VA it will be in the 70 during the day and 50s at night for the next few weeks, so they should be fine.

 

[gander007]

Well first

great to have you joining the BYC flock

Sounds to me like the farmer knows what they are talking about ...




I put mine outside in January at 3 weeks but is warmer here
then where you are and they came in at night ...

 

[cafarmgirl]

I have 12- 4 week old RIR chicks in a big plastic tote on my kitchen table. They are starting to get real rowdy in there.
Yesterday i set up a 6' x 10' X 6' dog kennel in the backyard next to the monster coop im building and covered
the top of it with 1" square plastic fencing to stop attacks from above. on the bottom 3 feet of the pen kennel sides
i covered with plastic poultry fencing.

i need to know if its ok to go ahead and take them out and put them in there
during the day while im out there working on their coop. my concern is that they are in too small of a container to be
in there 24 hours a day. a local farmer told me to put up a temp structure and boot them outside during the day and
bring them in at night. i live in florida and its in the 60's this morning and going into the high 70's today. my concern is that i dont want to thermal shock them.

i turned off their 250 watt heat light yesterday to try and get them used to cooler temps before i put them outside during the day. the farmer that i talked to said that in a small environment like i have them in, at 4 weeks old, can lead to fights and sickness. them temp in the house is between 78 and 80 constantly but obviously its been hotter in their plastic tote because of the heat lamp. the farmer also said that they are more hardy than i think. can anyone with experience PLEASE advise ma as to wether i can put them out in 60's and 70's temps TODAY? it sounds like they may be fighting inside that tote. farmer also suggested that i get a portable dog kennel to coral them into when the sun starts to go down and bring them inside the house for the night and then boot them back outside into the kennel for the entire day until i get the coop finished. farmer said this would give me the time i need to finish the coop.

i just now finished roofing the coop and i only have the frame of the coop and run built.
the coop is 10' x 10' x 8' and the run is 10' x 28' x 8' . i have A LOT of work to do to complete this chicken condo.
any help would be greatly appreciated as i need to do something NOW. if i cant take them out then i need to go get a giant container at tractor supply TODAY.

Your farmer friend does indeed know what he's talking about, I wouldn't change any of his suggestions. I agree, use the pen you have and get those chicks outside and out of that brooder before you have a pecking problem started up. At four weeks old they should be pretty much fully feathered and they most definitely do NOT need a 250 watt heat bulb at all anymore and probably no heat at all unless temps get very cold. Just make sure they have some kind of protected area in the pen where they can get out of any wind or rain that may pop up and even to get out of the sun if they get to warm.

 

[bevis]

thanks everyone for your responses. they are outside and have been all day .
my only fear now is that they are not going to want to go back inside.
should be fun trying to catch them tonight to bring them back in.

 

[mkeawsh]

Your farmer friend does indeed know what he's talking about, I wouldn't change any of his suggestions. I agree, use the pen you have and get those chicks outside and out of that brooder before you have a pecking problem started up. At four weeks old they should be pretty much fully feathered and they most definitely do NOT need a 250 watt heat bulb at all anymore and probably no heat at all unless temps get very cold. Just make sure they have some kind of protected area in the pen where they can get out of any wind or rain that may pop up and even to get out of the sun if they get to warm.

Okay, it has finally gotten out of the 30's at night, so I put my 7 week old chicks out permanently. Have the top covered and protected on three sides by the chicken tractors of my older birds so they can see them through the screening, and it keeps the wind from getting to them. The other side I have a board propped up for night. Do I need a heat lamp bulb for them at night if it is getting down into the 40's? I have one set up but wondering if it is really necessary?