Chicks Really Want To Be Outside. OK?

[Josh Clarke]

My chicks are about 5-6 weeks old and haven't had a heat lamp for about a week. They never really liked the heat lamp. I kept lowering the temperature and they never slept under it. They always preferred to snuggle.

Anyway, I introduced them to the outdoors a few days ago and now they absolutely hate going back inside. I completed their coop/run today and they LOVE it. I'm now wondering if it is ok to leave them outside all night. I've had chicks before that didn't go out this early, but these new ones seem to have all their feathers already. Temps get down to around 45-50 F. They have an area out of the wind with wood shavings in it.

Any advice is appreciated! Thanks!

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I move my chicks out at about 5 weeks -- I would not hesitate to move your birds out now given the details above.

 

[Josh Clarke]

Thanks so much for the quick reply. Sun just set and they are all snuggled up. Outside for the night it is!

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

At 5 weeks I agree they will be fine to stay out in the coop and run over night. This year I've had some out in the coop and run from three weeks. A hybrid bird that feathered very quickly, they stopped using their heat plate so I removed it and they have been fine. My polish who are slower to feather out are able to go out for fresh air at three weeks too. I just leave the lamp on in the shed if they want to pop back in for warm. I've found letting them out toughens them up much quicker than keeping them indoors all the time.

 

[Josh Clarke]

Thanks!

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Your most welcome

Are you going to put them in the coop over night?

 

[Josh Clarke]

Yes! The sun just set about 30 minutes ago and they are out there snuggled up!

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Yes! The sun just set about 30 minutes ago and they are out there snuggled up!

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Good morning - how did their first night in the big world go?

 

[azygous]

Your chicks did a splendid job of weaning themselves off heat. Some don't do as well, and are like thirty-year old humans who still want to live with their parents. They're inside your house for weeks pumping dust and dander into the air.

As well as your chicks are adjusting to life in the big world, they may have confusion once they begin to go outside in the run during the day and it comes time to go into the coop when night comes. The reason is one that most people fail to notice. Simply, the coop, which represents safety, just doesn't look the same from outside in the run as it does from the inside. Chicks are loathe to go anywhere strange and unfamiliar,.

This is why a little night light installed inside the coop for the first week or so can make all the difference in the world to chicks who are learning where they''re supposed to sleep at night once they're out of the brooder.

If they still don't quite catch on, you might have to climb into the coop and coax them inside, but try to resist the impulse to grab them up and stuff them in. You don't need that stress, and neither do your chicks.