Coop Ready?

[Mikski]

I have 4 chicks that are 6-7 weeks old and definitely coop ready, but I have one that is maybe 3.5 weeks old but likes to hang with the “big girls”. They haven’t been sleeping under the brooder plate and have been spending full days outside. I want to leave them in their coop overnight but am worried about the younger one. Will she be fine snuggling up with the bigger girls for heat? Supposed to be 48 degrees overnight.

I have 2 more chicks that are 2ish weeks and another that is 8 days old in the brooder. All the chicks have been hanging out together (yes, even my 6-7 week old chicks are nice to the itty bitty). I’m hoping to move the rest of the chicks outside in the next week or two. Thoughts?

 

[Debbie292d]

Most chicks feather out around 6 weeks, and I'd certainly think your older ones and even this 3.5-week-old tagalong would be okay. I'd double-check at night for a couple of nights to be sure the little one is indeed snuggling up in the pile though.

Normally, any younger ones should be fully feathered first, especially at 48F, unless you're like here and temps are rising fast every day.

We have a few cozy coop radiant heaters, those ones that look like a flat screen TV. If I'm in question if they might get chilled, we put one of those in the hutch for them. They can snuggle next to them if they get chilled.

 

[Mikski]

I have a brooder plate but need it in the garage brooder for my 1-2 week old birds

 

[Mikski]

Most chicks feather out around 6 weeks, and I'd certainly think your older ones and even this 3.5-week-old tagalong would be okay. I'd double-check at night for a couple of nights to be sure the little one is indeed snuggling up in the pile though.

Normally, any younger ones should be fully feathered first, especially at 48F, unless you're like here and temps are rising fast every day.

We have a few cozy coop radiant heaters, those ones that look like a flat screen TV. If I'm in question if they might get chilled, we put one of those in the hutch for them. They can snuggle next to them if they get chilled.

Here’s a pic of the tangalong from Monday - so she’s even more feathered than this. Originally I had planned to keep her with my 1-2 week old chicks but she screams if I let the big girls out and don’t let her out too. She insists she’s big enough to hang!

 

[rosemarythyme]

The 3.5 week old one should be fine with the others, especially if they all huddle up to sleep like in the first photo.

 

[Mikski]

The 3.5 week old one should be fine with the others, especially if they all huddle up to sleep like in the first photo.

Thank you! They all spent the night in the coop and woke up happy and chipper this morning!

 

[Mikski]

Ok so the chickies have been totally fine for a couple nights. And tonight is supposed to be warm too so they are fine. But starting tomorrow night temps turn colder and are expected to get down to get down in the 30s overnight for 10ish days. Is that too cold for these babies? Should I move them back into the brooder at night or will they be fine?