First day/night outside!!!

[georgialee]

I put all of my fuzzbutts (2.5-4.5 weekers) outside today in their temporary coop/run. I got them all set up, watched them for about 1/2 an hour and then had to leave for 5 hours! I was so nervous when I came home! It was already dark and the chick share our yard with our dog so I wasn't quite sure what I would come home to. They were all good chickies and didn't try to escape!

They were huddled under the heat lamp on the ground so all I had to do was stick them in their house while they were semi-comatose. The only one that fussed was our rir roo who pecked me

I have a feeling that he will be the first roo to go. I'm so happy that they're all doing well!

The thing that sucks is that I just heard on the radio that it's supposed to be in the mid-40's tomorrrow night

 

[bubbazmommy]

With a heat lamp, they should be fine tommorow, as long as the coop isn't drafty.

 

[m2wandc]

we are having a pretty consistant next few weeks of 75-80 during the day and 50-55 at night....so I'm hoping for HOT summer nights that will be perfect for introducing my chicks to their coop!

 

[georgialee]

I went out and checked on them this morning... of course it's been raining all night

All are dry except one of my cochin banties whose feathers are kind of like silkie feathers on her back and tail. I don't think they repel water as much or she was sitting out in the rain

I hope she'll sit by the heat lamp if she gets too cold. I did a head count and all 18 are there and they seem SO much happier to be outside!

 

[citrusdreams]

I have to admit, I was a bit worried about my four-week-olds last night. They're out in a dog kennel. Their only shelter is a covered wire-dog crate with 3 inches of pine shavings bedding, without a heat lamp. It went into the low 40s last night.

But this morning, everyone is present and accounted for, playing up a storm in the overgrown foliage in that area. I was relieved. So far, it only dipped into the 50s overnight.

Plus, out of the 26 pullets I ordered, I think I got only one rooster (sometimes hard to tell at this age depending on the breed), and it's a cookoo maran! I've never had a maran rooster before, so I think that's quite kewl

 

[buffyandhersisters]

I thought I'd put my 3.5 week olds out into their coop last night, but I chickened out and went and got them and put them back in the dog kennel in the garage with their 100 Watt bulb. Maybe I'll try again tonight. Its 90 in the day and probably 55 at night right now. From what I'm reading here, some say ok and some say no. It's a wooden coop with wire on part of the bottom (under the roosts) so air can get in. Whaddaya think?

 

[Iwannachicken]

Quote:
It's been raining so much here my dh hasn't had a chance to finish building the coop. We're using an A-frame wooden coop, too.

How many do you have? If the coop is insulated with straw or something, they might keep each other warm enough at 55 degrees.

 

[buffyandhersisters]

Quote:
It's been raining so much here my dh hasn't had a chance to finish building the coop. We're using an A-frame wooden coop, too.

How many do you have? If the coop is insulated with straw or something, they might keep each other warm enough at 55 degrees.

I have 6 of them. By insulated, do you just mean straw or pine shavings on the floor? I actually put a wooden box in there full of pine shavings. Since they're not roosting much yet, I thought they could snuggle up together in the box.

6 babies - 1 Silver Wyandotte (Gwendolyn), 1 Rhode Island Red (Beatrice), 1 White Ameraucana (Francine), 1 Brown Ameraucana (Hildegard), 1 Buff Cochin (Buffy), 1 Black Sexlink (Lola)