Chicks outside??

[Katt66]

All of mine so far have been outside at 4 wks. As soon as they're feathered out. Mine might feather out faster than someone else's though because I start turning the heat lamp off at night when they're about 3 weeks old as long as the temp around the house is 65 to 70. We get very harsh winters here sometimes and I can't have fragile chickens.

 

[StarEmpyre]

I made the huge mistake of letting my chicks get some supervised exposure to sun and dirt when they were about a week old, and after that all they wanted to do was get out again!

I ended up putting them outside during the day once they were 3 weeks old, and putting them back in their brooder at night. Once they were 4-5 weeks old, they were shut up in the nesting part of their coop at night. At 8 weeks, I would just put them back in the coop during the night.

Mine very much enjoyed their freedom, and became very aloof once allowed out xD
They used to like being held, but as soon as they started free ranging, every time I pick them up, they're in a hurry to get back to scratching dirt.


I would suggest you only introduce them to the outside world once they're 4 weeks old, so they have more time to become attached to you

 

[subhanalah]

If there are more than I'd say 5 of them, they'd be OK with 50 degree temps at about 3 weeks, they still need Draft protection though!

 

[carnivore]

I live in Tucson, daytime temps 100+, nightime 80. Mine go in the run at 2 weeks, Plenty of shade, and plenty of water, and even a box fan.

 

[Joanmcm]

Our 3 week old meat chickens are going out 24/7 tomorrow. They have been out during the day for the last week except during two bad rainstorms. They missed the light of the heatlamp but basically prefer the shade most of the time. So they have a night light.

We had to keep meat chickens inside until they were 5 weeks old last year and it was not a good thing. They grow really big really fast and since there are 40 or 50 of them they are pushy unless they have a lot of space, plenty of food and water, and some grass and bugs and things to look at.

 

[clankeyes]

I brought home 7 chicks in March. By 4 weeks they were playing outdoors for 2-4 hours each day. By 5 weeks most of the day. By 6 wks all day. We would bring them in at night. At 7 weeks we let them stay in their coop with no heat. By the second night they put themselves to bed. We live in Western WA. I have 2 one week old Marans and a few that just hatched in the last 24 hours. I will probably put them outside during the day as well for play time on about the same timeline. However since its been in the high 60 low 70's they will probably go into a grow out pen about 5-6 wks and stay outside.

 

[katieroth]

I'm about as inexperienced as you can be but someone pointed out that the natural source of warmth, their momma hen, doesn't tolerate them digging under her body for heat after they hit about four weeks or so. I put my 3 out when they were about five weeks old. The temps dipped into the 40s at night and I got neurotic and gave them a hot water bottle. They didn't seem to care though and when I peeked in late at night, they weren't settled near the heat, but they were close together. .

 

[hildar]

We put ours out to the coop about a week ago they were 2 weeks old, but we had a cage for them in there, and a heat lamp. However now at night they still have a heat lamp it's over the smallest ones, but the heat comes out from there, but the bigger ones can run all over the coop now. The youngest ones are games and are at 1 week old yesterday. However they do have the heat lamp and with just 2 we are keeping them in the cage for the next 3 weeks. But the older chicks keep them company. At night it gets to about 70 and days its 90 and better lately.

 

[rdilbarova]

I think I am going to try to put my out next week. They will be 6 weeks old and I no longer have the lamp on at all in the brooder. I have a vacation from work so I can watch them. But I think they will be okay.

I put mine out at 5 weeks with no problem. They have a coop to go into at night, and when they were five weeks temps were in the mid 50s. The fact that you no longer have a heat lamp is good. Before you put them out, I suggest putting them out during the day and bringing them in around 10pm for about a week (if you have a predator safe area) so that they get used to being outside and gradually get used to the cold. Also, if you have many chicks, they can snuggle in the coop at night to keep warm. I was fine with just five.

 

[Trenek3]

I have 15 chicks 6 weeks old. They have been outside over night for 3 days now and seem to be loving life here in Northern Va. We had a bad rain last night and they were unphased. No added heat.