Free-doom? 6 week chicks

[dermerchickens]

I have 7 six week old chicks, they are Buff Orpingtons, and 2 are Easter Eggers. I was wondering if I can put them outside, it gets in the 40-50s at night, sometimes high 30s. Would that be too cold if I can't put a heat lamp in? They really hate being in their brooder, they try to get out, and succeed. Could I put them in upside down plastic totes, with doors on them? Would I need a 'floor', roosts? I would put something heavy on top of the totes, and they would be in a fence, and I could put stuff around them... Please answer soon!!

 

[Nike]

Do you have a coop for them? I moved my chickens out at 4 weeks and they were fine with just a heat lamp outside. But if you don't have a coop I wouldn't trust it because it'd be easy for them to get out and also easy for a predator to get in. You could make something in your garage for them? I've had to do that before too - it's not too bad. I just used a large old wagon I had and covered the top with chicken wire until I had room in my coop for them.

 

[red horse ranch]

I have 7 six week old chicks, they are Buff Orpingtons, and 2 are Easter Eggers. I was wondering if I can put them outside, it gets in the 40-50s at night, sometimes high 30s. Would that be too cold if I can't put a heat lamp in? They really hate being in their brooder, they try to get out, and succeed. Could I put them in upside down plastic totes, with doors on them? Would I need a 'floor', roosts? I would put something heavy on top of the totes, and they would be in a fence, and I could put stuff around them... Please answer soon!!

If it's that cool at night I would wait another week. It wouldn't hurt for them to be out during the day as long as they have a shelter from the wind. For moving them out permanently you will need a coop or something much more substantial for them to live in.

 

[dermerchickens]

We don't have a garage, and all the chicken wire we have is used for their fence. We have a mudroom, and they wrecked that. They hopped out of their brooder all th time, we couldn't stop them.

I tried it and this morning they were fine, I'll try and post a picture of their 'coop' maybe, this jsut temp. untl we get their real temp. coop up.

 

[dermerchickens]

They have most of their full feathers in, and if you look at the post above. They survived the night!! It has a small chicken wire door/window, and we put boards over it a ight and open it so they come and go in the morning. Well, today was the first morning..

 

[sharonmorrell]

We got a cheap, used rabbit hutch from Craigslist and it worked great. I was able to put them outside, with my Brinsea brooder and straw in the covered portion which kept them plenty warm, at 4 and 5 weeks. Granted, they were in a barn, so they were covered, but we did put them outside during the day. My only regret was that the hutch didn't have wheels! LOL