Help!! Anyone Awake?? Need Advice

[noahsark]

I moved my freedoms outside tonight, they were so big...but only 4 weeks, they are all huddled in a big wire cage out in the coop with the rest of my hens that are pets..its gonna get to 40 tonight, seems I put the other ones out about now..will they be okay w/o a heat light, or should I go bring them all in the garage?Im afaraid now its to cold, but It will be alot of work to go drag them all back in!

 

[AllCoop'dUp]

I don't know anything about freedoms but is there anyway to run an extension cord out to where you put them? Then plug in the heat lamp? The other option is to take some cardboard out there and stuff it around them, or just put them in a box over night? Only thing I can think of.

 

[thornwing]

to be safe, I would. Beter safe than sorry they say :]

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

I leave my birds out that low and they are always fine. Besides that coop won't be 40 with all of those birds in it.

 

[eKo_birdies]

i hope the night went well and everyone is chirping happily away!

 

[noahsark]

All 26 accounted for this morning at 6am! Yea! Thanks for the idea about putting cardboard around the edges of the little cage they are all huddled in, I also put a tarp around it, and a blanket! Gosh...Glad they are fine outside now as this as you know makes my life TONS easier..4 weeks today, stay tuned for pictures!

 

[eKo_birdies]

good to hear!! yay little rangers!

 

[BigPeep]

They are more properly called "poulet rouge" or "label rouge" as they were developed by the French. I think the "freedom" moniker was put on at the same time as French Fries were renamed "freedom fries". I call them by the French names. It sounds more exotic and you may be able to charge more for them.

I am planning on starting with them in the Spring. The first batch will come in March and will be put out in April when we can get some nippy weather so I would be interested to see how yours fare. I don't have problems with the egg layers at four weeks. So long as they are feathered out they should be OK without protection.

 

[eKo_birdies]

Quote:
no.... poulet rouge is not a breed by any means. nor is the breed developed solely by the french.

if i were you i would refrain from calling them poulet rouge chickens unless you are truly rearing them by those standards. as far as calling something by another name to charge more... well that is something i would never do, but i guess to each their own.

 

[jaku]

When my birds are small and just out of the brooder, I cover the whole pen with a tarp and sometimes run an extension cord and heat lamp out to them. This allowed me to keep two week old birds in October nights in Michigan without a problem.