First Night Out at 7 weeks???

[mediazeal]

These chicks have been inside with Central Heat and Air for their lives up to now. They have had a warming light at night til just recently. It's going to be 54 tonight and the coop is open on one end (3 sided coop). Should I bring them in or let them stay the night? Is 7 weeks feathered enough?

No electricity out there (solar night light) so no option to use a warming light in the coop.

Here they are enjoying the room after an ever growing more cramped brooder.

Here's the closed end.

the whole thing from the back... coop is not quite finished comestically, but it's ready for the chicks. Are they ready for it?

 

[columbiacritter]

I wouldn't leave them out in something that drafty even with a heat lamp.

You need to rig up at least a temporary shelter that gives them shelter from the wind and allows them to create a warm spot.

Mine went out at 4weeks but into a nice tight coop with a heat lamp and a lot of people think that's still to soon.

 

[txredneckmedic]

mine went out at 4 weeks to a open on 4 end coop....but i do live in tx and low is like 70's

 

[annek]

You can always just see what they do, they will let you know if they are too cold. At 7 weeks they should be pretty well feathered out. My chicks say they would love 50's, it is in the 70's at night, tomorrow is supposed to be 96 and the humidity is stifling. Ah, summers in the Carolinia's!

PS-nice coop!

 

[mediazeal]

Ok, thanks folks.
I brought them in. Catching 12 chickens and carrying in two crates later, whew.

When will they be considered feathered out enough for 50+ degree nights?

They seem content to be in their brooder.

No wind tonight and I positioned the 3 sides of the coop to provide them the most protection from the directional weather. It's tucked inbetween trees and large bushes as well.

Anyway, I know I will sleep better with them inside.
Thanks for the advice.

 

[mediazeal]

They were pretty cute. When I went out the first time while I was waiting for your replies, they were all sitting by the door in one of the spotlights.

After reading the first two replies, I found them where I expected them to be, in a protected corner in the closed end in the other spotlight lit up piece of floor. They were pretty huddled up but still pretty hard to catch. Not like they were jumping into the box saying, 'whew, we were wondering when you were coming!!'

 

[ArizonaDesertChicks]

My chicks started staying outside in their 3-sided coop permanently at 7-8 weeks of age in the middle of the winter. We live in AZ, so our winters are mild, but the nights are still colder than 50 degrees. They just snuggled together on the roosts to keep warm.

Your coop looks great. The roost is far back in there, so it shouldn't be too drafty for fully feathered chicks. I'd just make sure to place them on the roost every night until they start doing it on their own.

 

[giasmom]

I've got a three sider pretty much the same as ya'lls. My chicks are 3 weeks and they stay out all night and day. They do have a smaller play pen inside it that they can also get in if they want to, to get out of the breezes. Its in the 60s here at night. They seem to be pretty content out there.

 

[ging3rhoffman]

Wow, very nice coop. If you have electric to your coop you could hang a couple of 250 red heat bulbs out there and i would think they would be fine. I have my 3 week olds out in an open coop with a heat lamp 3 ft from the ground and they have been doing fine. Its around 50 degrees her also. I would think they would be fully feathered at 7 weeks old.

 

[codybird]

Put them outside.