Help! Advice needed - How cold is too cold?

[LizzzyJo]

Hi All,
I just ordered new chicks to pick up Feb 4th There will be 9 of them (brooding 4 for a friend). They are all tough, cold hardy girls and boy. Jersey giant, cochins, oprpingtons, etc. Here's the problem - I now have to go out of town March 20-24. The average here on those days is 45/25 degrees. I don't have electricity in my coop and I would worry about a fire anyway. I have 3 older girls in the coop if that matters.

Will they survive during week 6 at those temps? I don't want to hurt them, but finding a baby sitter will be difficult.

Thanks!

 

[DobieLover]

Hi All,
I just ordered new chicks to pick up Feb 4th There will be 9 of them (brooding 4 for a friend). They are all tough, cold hardy girls and boy. Jersey giant, cochins, oprpingtons, etc. Here's the problem - I now have to go out of town March 20-24. The average here on those days is 45/25 degrees. I don't have electricity in my coop and I would worry about a fire anyway. I have 3 older girls in the coop if that matters.

Will they survive during week 6 at those temps? I don't want to hurt them, but finding a baby sitter will be difficult.

Thanks!

Where do you plan on brooding them?
Leaving 6 week old chicks at those temperature is doable with some prep but you said you have no electricity in the coop and the averages are below freezing at night. What will you do about water freezing?
Will the three older girls have physical access to the chicks? They will not accept the chicks at that age.
Personally, I would start now trying to find someone to check on your chickens while you are away. Any chance the friend you are brooding for could do that in exchange for your raising her birds?

 

[LizzzyJo]

Where do you plan on brooding them?
Leaving 6 week old chicks at those temperature is doable with some prep but you said you have no electricity in the coop and the averages are below freezing at night. What will you do about water freezing?
Will the three older girls have physical access to the chicks? They will not accept the chicks at that age.
Personally, I would start now trying to find someone to check on your chickens while you are away. Any chance the friend you are brooding for could do that in exchange for your raising her birds?

They have a water heater in the run, but we've been too wary of fires to put heat in the coop itself.

My 3 older girls are lavender and blue orpingtons. Will they really hurt the babies? When will they accept them?

 

[Brahmachicken240]

They have a water heater in the run, but we've been too wary of fires to put heat in the coop itself.

My 3 older girls are lavender and blue orpingtons. Will they really hurt the babies? When will they accept them?

How old are these new chicks ?
If they are newly hatched then they cannot be out with your adult chickens
You can’t put newly hatched chicks outside without a heat source at any time of the year. You will have to buy a heat lamp and have them in a brooder indoors

 

[PirateGirl]

The chicks also will not likely put themselves to bed/roost in the coop at the end of the day at that age. If they can exit the coop on their own, a person may have to herd them back in for the night.

 

[LizzzyJo]

How old are these new chicks ?
If they are newly hatched then they cannot be out with your adult chickens
You can’t put newly hatched chicks outside without a heat source at any time of the year. You will have to buy a heat lamp and have them in a brooder indoors

They will be 6 weeks old at the time that I was wanting to introduce them to the flock and leave them outside for those 4 days. I am brooding them in the house before that.

 

[Brahmachicken240]

They will be 6 weeks old at the time that I was wanting to introduce them to the flock and leave them outside for those 4 days. I am brooding them in the house before that.

Is it possible for you to keep them indoors in their brooder for those four days too before you introduce them to your flock so you can be there to make sure they’re safe around your older hens ?

 

[LizzzyJo]

Is it possible for you to keep them indoors in their brooder for those four days too before you introduce them to your flock so you can be there to make sure they’re safe around your older hens ?

I wont be home those 4 days, that's the problem. I am trying to avoid getting a sitter, by putting them outside at 6 weeks. I was only worried about the cold. But now im worried about the cold and my older girls killing them.

 

[paneubert]

Not even looking at the question of the 6 week olds, is the current plan for the older girls to lock them in the coop with 4 days of food and water?

 

[paneubert]

If no sitter is going to be used, I would greatly lean towards keeping the old ones outside and the young ones inside. Both with a ton of food and water. Sitter preferred, even if all they do is come over on day 2 of 4 to check on food and water levels.