Chick Question.......

[danielle2003]

I think our chicks are 6 weeks now. They are getting so big now, and outgrowing their brooder box. I was wondering if they are old enough and/or fully feathered enough to live outside permanetly. It gets about 32 degrees F. here at the lowest.

 

[nuthatched]

Where are they now? Maybe a week in a garage or shed to help them acclimate.

 

[Percheron chick]

I have but what are you doing to acclamate them and how many are there? Coop? Can you give them a smaller enclosure within the coop? Less area for their bodies to heat up and trap the heat

 

[danielle2003]

Where are they now? Maybe a week in a garage or shed to help them acclimate.

They are in the garage with a heat lamp still.

 

[danielle2003]

I have but what are you doing to acclamate them and how many are there? Coop? Can you give them a smaller enclosure within the coop? Less area for their bodies to heat up and trap the heat

I have 9 chicks. Their coop is already pretty small, just meant to sleep, eat, drink, and lay eggs. Once they're grown, they have a whole pasture to free range in. I'll send a picture. They're in it now, because it's warm during the day. But then I put them up in the garage at night.

 

[WIchickMama]

I would start weaning them off the heat lamp, they don't need it and then yep move them out to the coop!

 

[Percheron chick]

Remove the heat lamp bulb and put a 60W incandescent bulb in it for a few nights. Do they care? Turn off the light for another 2-3 nights then kick them out. Chicks will pile on top of each other on the floor for the first few months. Use this to your advantage. A covered cat carrier or even a box with a thick layer of bedding will help trap body heat and keep them warm. They will all be out running around by the time you get down to the coop in the morning.

 

[Roostergirl76]

I think our chicks are 6 weeks now. They are getting so big now, and outgrowing their brooder box. I was wondering if they are old enough and/or fully feathered enough to live outside permanetly. It gets about 32 degrees F. here at the lowest.
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In short my answer would be yes but it would also depend on the breed as some are more tolerant to cold than others, how many birds are going to be housed together because then they can huddle together for warmth and whether they will be inside a coup at night. Personally i would have a heat source available just for a week or two so they can get used to not being under mum or having a constant heat source in the brooder. Until they grow to full size metabolism and circulation is going full tilt therefore their energy needs are higher especially when their bodies have to work a lot harder to stay warm but your birds look great for their age and almost fully feathered so yes as long as there will be a few birds together go for it and lastly just check they can take flight if they have to escape predators as one last thing before you do.

 

[Tonyroo]

It's safe to put them in the coop, just make sure your coop is well ventilated.

 

[Ridgerunner]

It's safe to put them in the coop, just make sure your coop is well ventilated.

They also need to be out of a direct wind. I've had chicks 5-1/2 weeks old go through nights in the mid 20's F with no supplemental heat. They had been acclimated. Your chicks will survive 32 F as long as the coop has decent ventilation and they are out of a direct breeze.

How cold has it been during the day when they are in the coop? How cold does it get in that garage at night? How is your heat lamp set up? If you are only heating a part of that brooder and let the rest of it cool off they have been fully acclimated. That's how I acclimate mine.

It sounds like you do not have any adults in that coop, at least you don't have to worry about integration. My chicks tend to sleep in a group on the coop floor until they start to roost, sometimes until they are 3 months old. This is during the heat of summer, not just when it is cold. The group is a little looser in the summer, just like they spread out on the roosts more in the heat of summer, but don't be fooled that them sleeping in a group means they are cold. They just like the company.

The coop being warm is not what keeps them warm. Their feathers keep them warm, even if they are by themselves. The feathers trap tiny pockets of air which insulates them. If a direct breeze ruffles their feathers and lets those pockets of air escape they lose that insulation. Another danger if it drops below freezing is frostbite. Living in Oklahoma you probably know that if you go outside with wet hands, wet feet, or a wet face you are susceptible to frostbite if it is below freezing. Decent ventilation of the coop allows the moisture from their breath, their poop, and any waterers escape so it doesn't build up. Many people have solved frostbite problems by increasing the ventilation in their coop, not by sealing it off to try to retain heat. As long as the air is fairly dry they can handle temperatures well below freezing without frostbite. When I lived in Northwest Arkansas, across the border from you, my seven to nine mature chickens went through nights below zero Fahrenheit in an 8' x 12' coop with a tremendous amount of ventilation up high while roosting with no frostbite. They do not need a small tight coop to stay warm. Your chicks are almost certainly feathered out as well as adults if you've been feeding them a decent feed. Most chicks are fully feathered out at 4 to 5 weeks, yours are older than that.

As far as I'm concerned the benefits on having a decent sized coop far outweigh any perceived benefit of having a small tight coop. They can handle the cold in a big one. The more they are shoe-horned into a tight space the more behavioral problems you often have. I don't know what your coop looks like but where you are they should be able to get outside all day practically every day, including this winter. That takes a lot of pressure off of coop size.

If you feel you must acclimate them further turn that light off in the garage for a few nights. I don't know how cold it actually gets in that garage but they probably have great ventilation in that brooder and should be protected from breezes. Many people acclimate their birds by putting them outside during the day and bringing them into a warm house at night, pretty much what you have been doing. Yours are probably a lot further acclimated than you might think.

It doesn't hurt them to not be outside when they are ready. If you were set up for it and willing to do it you could keep them inside another month without issues. It would not hurt them. But if you are running out of brooder space as they grow then you probably need a larger brooder or need to move them. They are ready.