Five and a Half Week Old Chicks Old Enough For No Suplimental Heat?

[KernH]

I want to put my 6 five and half week old chicks into their house tonight. I already have 6 eight week old chicks in the house. They look pretty well feathered. It will be about 57 degrees tonight outdoors and about 83 to 90 degrees during the day the rest of this week. Am I pushing it to put them out now? Kern

 

[crazyroo102938]

I do that with my chicks so I think it will be fine for them to be outside

 

[David1998]

Provided you've ramped their brooder down 5 deg a week to about ~70 now, I see no problem putting them outside. Put them out mid morning and they'll be fine.

 

[donrae]

They should be fine. I've been tossing my birds out without heat around 3 weeks, only plugging the lamp in at night for another week or so. I've got a 5 week old chick who's been totally off heat for at least a week now, he just snuggles with the two silkies at night. Course, they all three decided to roost directly over the broody hen, but that's another story

 

[KernH]

Everybody is alive and well this morning. No problem with the cold it would seem. The only problem is the 8 week old chicks are picking on the 5.5 week old chicks. Actually mainly one Maran hen is the biggest bully. She has never been aggressive to any of her age chicks at all, but boy is she pecking and chasing the newcomers. Right now I put the older chicks outside the fenced in chicken house and yard. They are running around in my backyard having loads of fun. The younger chicks have the house and yard to themselves right now. Hope the aggression stops soon. I hate seeing the young ones getting attacked. Kern