Chicks 8 and 9 weeks - Should I move them outside yet?

[Crumbling Beauty]

Hi

.

I have two chicks (one is 8 weeks old, and the other is 9 weeks). They have been living in our bedroom inside a big galvanized Behlen County trough and, for the last week or so, I have been taking them outside to our tractor, during the day. I have been bringing them in at night. They seem fully feathered to me (no fuzz), though underneath their wings (in their little chick armpits

) there is still a small spot of bare skin. Should I let them sleep in the top of the tractor this evening, or do I need to wait a little longer? They have started kicking up a lot of dust, and it would be nice to get them on their way to joining the flock. Our adult birds sleep in the large coop.

It's been in the mid to high 40s during the day, here. Tonight's low is supossed to be 34.

Thanks!

 

[AlienChick]

Mine are almost 7 weeks old and are outside in their tractor coop.

Our nighttime temps are in the 30's.

 

[Crumbling Beauty]

Thanks, I was looking for some reassurance

.

 

[frizzleman74]

yes of course, i moved mine out at 5 weeks, as long as their fully feathered its fine, which at 8 and 9 weeks they should be. Its actually better if you let them out early so their feather can adjust to become more insulated through their juvenile molts for the winter! Good Luck, i know they'll be ok out there!

 

[mommto3kiddos]

My chicks I raised in the late winter this year were out at 6 weeks.. My new batch will go back in the coop with my broody at 4 weeks!!! Your babies should do great!

 

[jmtcmkb]

I put my 5 week old chicks outside 2 days ago- they are fine. 50"s daytime 28* lows. Yours will be fine especially since you have already had them out days.

 

[chuckeychickens]

We moved about 75 six-eight week old chicks out last week and they are doing fine.
We have them in a pen with a tarp over them and we have heat lamps hooked up
and running. They are doing just fine out there, even though we've had a lot of rain.

 

[Fred's Hens]

You can run a little supplemental heat, the first night or two, to assist them in the transition and acclimation, but the kindest thing you can do is to then shut it off. Allow mother nature to do what she does best, use November to prepare them for January. If you allow the birds to experience the relative cold of November, their feathering and down production will be wonderful !!!! Come January and the real cold stuff, they'll be well prepared and will do just fine.

 

[Mama duck 8]

Their big enough to go out but it might be to cold

 

[SteveBaz]

(in their little chick armpits smile)

Struck me as very funny spit my coffee out!!

We live in PDX too.

from PDX

Yes it is very mild weather and if they have been spending days out, yes for sure. The weather if perfect so don't feel sorry for them and put more heat on it will do more damage than good.

at 8 & 9 weeks they must be tearing it up in the house and the dust and the smell I am sure your ready to get out of the house. When your ready to mix them up with the big girls just play referee and see how it goes but let them see each other for a while and it will go OK you'll see. The little girls are fast you will see. Put a bunch of stuff in the way and places for them to hide around. Rocks and water bowls and perches and tree branch perches and they will get pecked here and there but its over soon. Good luck​