have questions about our babies (pics

[BBK]

We got 6 lil ones from TSC last Saturday, they had feathers. but don't know how old they are.

Yesterday it was 60s here, so i took them outside. our coop isn't finished yet, well it is now, but the run isn't.

when i brought them back in, they were pooped, all took naps, but scared the dickens out of me, i thought ikilled them.

Should i have taken them outside? today it's supposed to be near 70s.

Can i take them out today?
I really want to put them out in the coop.

so, will i need to heat it?
And I read it's going to take 4-5 weeks for real feathers to come in. which i've never been through this, so i'm hoping to realize this stage.

But after this happens, i can turn the heat lamp off?

and last question, do you think they're RIRs?

thanks for all of your help.
melinda
BTW, I'm in upstate NY, where the weather changes day-2-day!

 

[HorseFeathers]

Yup, those look like pet-quality (NOT show-quality) RIRs! Congrats on the little ones.
You should be able to take them outside for at least a short period of time. WATCH THEM. If they huddle together they are cold and need to go back inside. I wouldn't put them in the coop for good until they have more feathers. Perhaps 6 weeks or so.

 

[chickabator]

they look like rir's or nhr. I don't know about leaving them in the coup without heat yet. they are still young about 2-maybe 3 weeks old. I know we don't take ours out of the heat until they are completely feathered out. about 6 to 8 weeks old.

 

[mrsgibber]

I'm in CT and my 7 & 8 week old's are fully feathered in but I still keep a 100W lamp on for them at night just to keep off the chill. It still gets in the 30's - 40's at night. During the day the lamp is off and they can go outside.

I don't know what breed you have there, but I'm sure someone will chime in for you. Good luck. They are very cute!

 

[Spires6]

Because they have wing feathers and body down, I think they may be between 1-2 weeks old. I live in Ohio with similar weather to yours. Our 2 1/2 week old chicks and turkey poults will go out for the first time today once the temperature gets warmer. It's supposed to reach 70 and be sunny here today and tomorrow so I will put them out in late morning and bring them in in late afternoon. I probably won't put them out in the coop until they are 2 months old which will be late May or early June. The weather will be warmer and they will be more fully feathered. Until then they will go out in brooder cages on warm sunny days and return to the garage brooders under warming lights at night. This seems to have worked well for me in the past. I am so glad spring is here!

 

[BBK]

I guess i misled you... I was planning on using a heat lamp out in the coop. And keeping them in there, unless it's nice out, thne letting them go outside.

right now, they're in my sunroom and in a carboard box. that's NOT going to last 6 more weeks...yikes!
so, they should be ok, then, right? I did not take them out yesterday, was afraid....lol.
thank you for all of the great info...
Melinda

 

[pefferlawchicken]

looks like my babys buckeyes , and they are about a week and a half so yours look to be 2 weeks to 2 and half weeks

good luck

 

[Ducklove334]

those babies look JUST like the baby our broody red mutt hen hatched 3 weeks ago, how big are they, because this baby is SO small still. but they look Identical, and if they are RIRs then that means that Bertha IS the daddy of our baby, because he's RIR mutt.

I'd say in age they are about 3 weeks, because again, they look IDENTICAL to the baby, even feather wise.

 

[Chicken Fruit]

Just imagine what momma hen would do. She'd have to go out and forage for food and babies would have to come with her.

I take chicks out whenever the weather is nice, and it does poop them out- just like any other baby anything that plays hard. They crash! and then sleep all day.

They look to be about a week old, closing in on two. Mine always get their tails in at close to two weeks. I wouldnt say three because by three they start getting those two lines of chest feathers.

 

[cybercat]

Those are not RIR, maybe production reds or NHr or red stars or red leghorns. RIR are much more a dark red almost black. Either way they are cute chicks and i think you have a cockeral too. He will be the one with much thicker legs.