Chicks in the winter, when can they go out side??

[aart]

the run is full mesh from bottom to top up until the roof so there is no way for them to get out.

What size is the mesh?

i let them in the run and i might put them back in now. also i now made it so they only have food and water outside is that okay for at night if they do not have food or water at night

yeah, i did leave them in the coop for a day

Wait did you leave them in the coop or let them out into the run?
They food and water in the coop while they are in there during the day.

 

[ElaynasChick]

What size is the mesh?


Wait did you leave them in the coop or let them out into the run?
They food and water in the coop while they are in there during the day.

So basically i had them in just the coop for one day then too day (day 2) i let them out into there fully enclosed run, with a feeder and waterer and grit, and then inside there is also a feeder and waterer and grit. is this okay? or should i be doing something different or something?

 

[NatJ]

So basically i had them in just the coop for one day then too day (day 2) i let them out into there fully enclosed run, with a feeder and waterer and grit, and then inside there is also a feeder and waterer and grit. is this okay? or should i be doing something different or something?

That sounds good.

 

[ElaynasChick]

That sounds good.

Today (the 3rd day) I opened the door to go out in the run and non went out and it was opened for like half an hour so I closed the door so maybe I will try a to let them out tomorrow

 

[Ted_Harrell]

Just put my 6 SFHs outside in their new coop. It has been between 43-50 degrees every morning since I put them in and they are doing well. Of course this breed is a landrace from Sweden so I expect the cold not to even bother them. Good luck with your babies...

 

[Lilyput]

They are ready to be moved out now. They are fully feathered. Birds experience temperature drops worse than that when they get older. Your birds need to get out and exposed to the normal weather ASAP so they can acclimate.
If you are concerned about the temperature difference, give them a huddle box inside the coop to sleep in. Basically a box turned on it's side that is large enough to fit all of them in it.
As long as your coop is dry, draft free at the roosts and well ventilated, they will do just fine.
I would keep them on the starter for life. Just offer them oyster shell in a separate container (or two or three) on the side when they hit 16 wees old. Starter has a better protein amount than any layer feed I've found. And keeping them on a starter formula for life enables you to add chicks in the future without having to worry about them eating layer feed when you integrate them. Additionally, when hens molt, they do not need all the extra calcium of layer feed. If you intend to ever have a rooster, they don't need it either. The extra calcium can eventually cause kidney damage in birds that do not need it for shell formation.

I use All Flock for the same reason and separate oyster shell as the chickens know better what they need. I also add a cup of calf manna to the five cups of all flock feed (it's got a lot of nice extras) and a a separate cup of fermented feed as well as their scratch (two-three cups a day). Mine have plenty of covered runs and outdoor runs. I've got 15 hens and one rooster.

 

[munchkinlover]

I offer layer pellets as well as regular crumbles and let them decide what they want. The layering hens really prefer the pellets, and the roosters eat the crumble. Everyone seems to be happy.

 

[Fintechie]

We had about 3 inches snow and chickens still wanted to come out, but briefly in the snow. Later we shoveled a patch so that they came and stayed outside longer

 

[Rshumpal]

Just put my 6 SFHs outside in their new coop. It has been between 43-50 degrees every morning since I put them in and they are doing well. Of course this breed is a landrace from Sweden so I expect the cold not to even bother them. Good luck with your babies...

I just put my girls out yesterday. They have had an open window where they had been, but yesterday was going to be the same temp last night as it was in the morning. Mine go out in the container run (8x8) and I have left the coop (8x6) doors open during the day for them to travel back and forth. They seem to be doing fine, but I’m not nearly as interesting now.

 

[ElaynasChick]

hey guys i was wondering when i should start feeding scratch the chickens are now 3 or 4 months old.