Delima with putting chicks outside!!!!!

[darbywpd]

Approximately 4 weeks ago I got 8 chicks from our local feed place. Wife wanted white ones though and a week later when I walked in, they now had white chicks (white plymouth rocks - my first 8 were a mix of GLW/black sex links/red cross). I have been brooding them in a 50 gal tupperwear container. The original 8 are fully feathered, at least to my eyes, but the 2 white rocks just have wing feathers and some back. They are all in the same brooder. The coop is done and ready, but I really cant get eleteric to it.

My delima is the original 8 are getting really big and the brooder is getting really crowded. I still have heat lamp on, but its about 3 1/2 feet above brooder. All the chickens have been outside in a pen during the day this week, except today because of rain. Outside temps this week have been 65-80 degrees during the day, with lows at nite around 60 to maybe 55 on the coldest nite.

I have read I need to wean them off heat lamp, but worry about white rocks. Should I just turn the lamp off and let rocks snuggle up to older chicks, which they already do? Should I just stick everyone outside in coop at nite? Will I have problems if I keep two chicks inside at nite and then try to put them out with their older sisters in a few weeks? give me ideas!!!!!

 

[wayneh]

can you run a cord for your heat lamp? then you could put them all outside.

 

[Nicole01]

I put my 3 older ones in a large dog kennel without the light at 5 weeks of age. The brooder(wire kennel) was for the second group of chicks(darn chicken math). I kept the 3 older chicks in the dog kennel for a few days downstairs in the basement before putting them permanently in the coop. It worked very well. During the day, they would spend the day in the coop and I brought them in at night. They hated the coop at first and were very scared. Putting them in the coop gradually really helped. They went in full time in the coop at 6 weeks of age. I did wean them off the lamp, but they were more then ready for the move.