Chicks outside??

[phalenbeck]

My chicken mommas have them out all day at less that a week. About 3-4 weeks they are on there own. I used to fuss over chicks, and now I do not. Most make it under both fussing and not fussing systems. Not fussing and worrying is easier.

 

[sssharon]

My chicks took a while but they started going in the covered part of the chicken coop. They aren't quite 6 weeks old and I put a cover over the coop when I put them outside and I put it down at night. They are doing fine and I could tell tonight when I went outside to cover them that they are getting antsy and I am going to put them out with the other chicks that are12 weeks and hens that are a year and I think they are ready. They have already been out by accident a couple of times and it was okay. The same thing happened here in Ne. and the day after I put them outside we had 5 inches of rain and hail. They were covered and the other chickens locked in and everything was fine. Thank heavens!

 

[artsygirl]

A little bit after I put the girls in the coop, it poured. They stayed dry, were perfectly fine. It's rainy season right now for us.

 

[LORILEI]

I live in Upstate NY as well. This is my first time having chickens. My chicks are three weeks old and I just had one die on me. She was fine one minute and dead the next. All of the rest of the chicks seem to be acting normal. I have had them under a heat lamp in a box in the house. I have been monitoring the temps in their box. Actually let me clarify, they are in a box inside a extra large dog cage and the heat lamp is hung above the dog cage...Should I kill the heat lamp now??? They have most of their feathers now. I am thinking maybe it got to hot in there and my favorite girl died??? Not really sure, but my heart is broken. Any advise is greatly appreciated.

 

[aoxa]

I live in Upstate NY as well. This is my first time having chickens. My chicks are three weeks old and I just had one die on me. She was fine one minute and dead the next. All of the rest of the chicks seem to be acting normal. I have had them under a heat lamp in a box in the house. I have been monitoring the temps in their box. Actually let me clarify, they are in a box inside a extra large dog cage and the heat lamp is hung above the dog cage...Should I kill the heat lamp now??? They have most of their feathers now. I am thinking maybe it got to hot in there and my favorite girl died??? Not really sure, but my heart is broken. Any advise is greatly appreciated.

At 3 weeks, house temp is good

 

[LORILEI]

Thank you!

 

[moms3cuties]

I've got 2 bantam sebrights and a black sex link, all three 4 weeks as of Thursday. We're going on vacation in 1 week so they'll be 5.5 weeks when we leave. I was hoping to be able to bring them outside for the neighbors who are chicksitting for the week, but not sure if it's too early. Lows are in the upper 40s, low 50s. The roost and nesting box will be separated and draft free, and I was thinking of a blanket and a tarp during the night. Feathers are starting to come in everywhere and they spend daytime in the 60's all day. I was hoping to avoid the lamp since we'll be out of town.

Anyone have any recommendations?

Keep in mind I'm in Arizona so that would be winter time for us. So what I've done with mine if they had to be outside is, I might have a little heating pad on LOW underneath a thick towel and only in one part of their box, that you know it's an area that stays dry and covered, free from a lot of drafts; in that way they can choose if they need to be warmer, they can go over and lay by the covered heating pad. If they don't need the heat they can stay on the other side of the box or container. This is what I've tried. I don't know if others would do this or not but hopefully that can be useful to you!

 

[moms3cuties]

I live in Upstate NY as well.  This is my first time having chickens.  My chicks are three weeks old and I just had one die on me.  She was fine one minute and dead the next.  All of the rest of the chicks seem to be acting normal.  I have had them under a heat lamp in a box in the house.  I have been monitoring the temps in their box.  Actually let me clarify, they are in a box inside a extra large dog cage and the heat lamp is hung above the dog cage...Should I kill the heat lamp now??? They have most of their feathers now.  I am thinking maybe it got to hot in there and my favorite girl died???  Not really sure, but my heart is broken.  Any advise is greatly appreciated.

in raising quite a few sets of chickens over this past year or so, I have found if my chicks are panting, then their too hot so I had to be very careful not to keep the heat to close and get them too warm.
**I Made sure that there was options for them to move away from the heat. **
Hopefully that's useful to you as well.

 

[Xiao Casa]

One more question:

Our coop has an open, ventilated bottom (another way of saying that the bottom is just hardware cloth). I figure that day-old chicks could fall through the holes and hurt their little legs, but since we want to raise them outdoors, what would you guys recommend? A big piece of cardboard on the coop bottom to create a temporary "floor"? And do they need bedding? I have some I can use for them if they need it, but if they don't then I'll just save it for the hamster.

By the way, we haven't actually purchased the chicks yet, just thought I'd put that out there since it sounds like we have from they way I refer to them.

 

[Jewellan]

Well. They have been outside for three nights now and they are doing just fine

I was worried that they would not go up into the coop at night, but they do.....all on their own. So they are great. I am very relieved. Love my babies.