Help!! I live in Mesa Arizona

[coltbreath]

My chickens are six weeks old and I think they can finally leave the brooder. Should I let the recent weather delay my decision to
let the chickens into their permanent home??? I took two of the flock out yesterday and they seemed fine, but would'nt go into the coop. Any Ideas Arizona. Let me know Robert L.

 

[teach1rusl]

Most say you will have to keep them shut up inside the coop for several days minimum so that they will get use to their new dwelling. I don't know your temps now in AZ, so can't help you there...I'd say if temps. either are or could be made (w/heat lamp or some other heat source) around 50 degrees or so they would do fine. Six weeks is still fairly young (for this time of year, when temps. are colder). I'm going by the -5 degrees per week guideline... Good luck! I hope someone from your area chimes in soon enough...

 

[ArizonaNessa]

I keep all my birds outside from day one. My brooders are set up outside as well. As soon as they are fully feathered I take them from the brooders and off they go into their aviary. As long as you have a set up to where they have a way to get out of the wind, rain, and what have you then you should be okay. I would recommend that you not let them loose in your yard because hawks and owls and such will take them in a heartbeat because they are so much smaller than a full grown chicken.

Edit: I wanted to add that if you only have a few birds then you could hang a heat light in the coop for the first few weeks just in case someone gets chilly they can wander over and warm up. If you choose to do this make sure that the heat lamp is far enough away from anything that could catch fire such as pine shavings and hay or straw.

 

[Mahonri]

You may want to CAREFULLY place a brooder lamp in one of the corners of your coop (if it's good sized)

If it's a small coop, they should be fine huddled up together.

You can PM with any other question...

 

[coltbreath]

Thank you for the input. This weekend will be the big graduation day from the brooder

(I work Tues-FRi)
Thanks Again Robert L.

 

[ArizonaDesertChicks]

Our nighttime temps are getting down close to freezing now. I moved my chicks outside at about 6 weeks too and turned on a heat lamp for them every night for a few weeks after that.