Chicks outside??

[littlelakelife]

My 5 are red sex links (I think). They went out at 4 weeks old here in WNY - no light and the temps were still getting down to 30's-40's at night. They were off the lamp inside for a week before that. They seemed to thrive outside and never seemed cold. They are about 8-10 weeks old now, crazy to think chicks that size are still getting the heat lamp treatment by some. Maybe it depends on breed?

 

[hildar]

I put mine outside in the yard every day as of 2-3 days old. I figured in the real world, they'd be out and about with their mama if they had one

I'm planning on moving them into the coop with the grownups at just under 4 weeks, maybe sooner. My rooster does check up on the little ones throughout the day and has come running when one makes a distress call, so they're kinda pretty much already integrated into the flock. They already don't seem to care whether or not the heatlamp is on at night, though I turn it on for them anyway as they're only about 8 days old still. And one day earlier this week, the wind had quite an icy bite to it; I gave them a shelter but they didn't use it except for at nap time!

True, the moms let the chicks run and play close to her when they are just a few days old. Mine still have a heat lamp at 1 week old at night time, but I don't even see them under it when I go and look at 11pm at night. I can't imagine keeping tons of chicks in the house until when they are a month old.

It just isn't natural, and it would really wear me out having to keep them in something closed up for so long. The cleaning, and the noise.

 

[Jewellan]

True, the moms let the chicks run and play close to her when they are just a few days old. Mine still have a heat lamp at 1 week old at night time, but I don't even see them under it when I go and look at 11pm at night. I can't imagine keeping tons of chicks in the house until when they are a month old.

It just isn't natural, and it would really wear me out having to keep them in something closed up for so long. The cleaning, and the noise.

Ya. I have had it too. When mine were a week old they were huddled under the lamp for warmth. Now they absolutely do not need it. If they have trouble in 55 degree weather at night then they are just in sad shape period. Even though they are cute .... they are just to stinky and noisy. And the Dogs still have not gotten used to them. It is a pain now to have them in the house. They go outside today! They can have their house. I will get mine back.

 

[PeckPeckChick]

They are fully feathered at 6 weeks but I wait a week or so and put them out at 7 weeks.

 

[ScottN73]

I bought 26 day old chicks from McMurray Hatchery and kept them in the brooder in my basement until they were 5 weeks and 2 days old. I moved them outside into their coop and locked them in for three days with NO artificial heat. I live in Northeast Ohio and since it was the beginning of May, temps were in the 70's during the day and low 40's at night. After being locked in the coop for three days I opened it up so the could have their run (which is separated from my adult hens run with a partitioned see through fence) and they have been just fine. They are now 9 weeks old and healthy as horses. I think the breeds may have alot to do with the amount of cold they can stand. I did slowly back the heat lamp away from them in the brooder over the course of the 4th to 5th week. The breeds in this batch are 6 Cuckoo Maran's, 6 buff laced polish, 1 Silver Laced Polish, 6 Welsummer's & 8 Araucana's. All of these are very hardy winter birds which is what we need up here in the snow belt. Hope this helps.

 

[country flock]

My Silkie hen "weaned" her chicks at 5 weeks. She sleeps on the woodpile again and the chicks still sleep in the nest. They run around together with some chicks I hatched. They are fine and they don't have a heat source... It's usually in the 70s to 80s during the day and 60s to low 70s at night.

 

[troy4]

Well my hens stop needing heat around 7 weeks of course they were all stuffed together accept in the summer time then did without heat for ever and obvisouly evever

 

[Tatubela]

First time raising chicks. Question: I'm ready to take ours outside into their coop. They seem ready and love playing outdoors. We turned the light out in the brooder at 4 weeks. They are 5.5 weeks old and fully feathered. Temps are in the 70-80's during the day, 50's at night (we are in southern California). The coop we bought doesn't have a door to lock the chicks at night. I'm worried about the cold. Should I build a door to enclose them at night? The coop is attached to an enclosed run. Also, they don't sleep in a roosting bar at night in the brooder. Is that normal? By what age do chicks start sleeping on the roosting bar?

 

[Xiao Casa]

We've been working on our coop and will have it ready for chickens in a couple weeks or less. We decided that it was about time to order the chicks, but first wanted to know when we should put them in their coop? We live in South Texas right near San Antonio, and it is in the mid-80's to 90's (Fahrenheit) during the day and rarely gets to even 70 at night. It never gets below that at this time of year. By the time the chicks are a couple weeks old it will probably be in the 90's to 100's and maybe, if we're lucky, 80's at night. At temperatures like this, can I put the chicks outside when they are three weeks old? We don't want them in the house for very long.

 

[Jewellan]

I put a window in the inner coop for ventilation, and added a door to the coop entrance for winter and to acclimate the chicks to their new living space. I will let them out this evening or tomorrow depending on hot hot it gets in there. I'm not sure how long to keep them inside actually.




They seem calm, which is better than them freaking out I guess.




Mister Bones is not happy. He cannot find them but he knows they are there.