Help!! with my month olds...

[NightCode]

ok let me start off by saying the nights here reach the high 30's and days are 60 degrees i live in washington. this winter is gonna be bad and i just hatched 10 chicks all mix's now 5 weeks old . and i was wanting to know if i could leave them out in this weather. their coop is all covered except a 2' X 2' section. and preditor proof. would they be ok or could they die?.... they have been inside downstairs without a heat light for 4 days where its around 50 at nights maybe colder where they are. they do all sleep together but its not like there cold and trying to keep warm just suggeling alittle here and there. will they adjust to the weather? i have them out all day from 8am tell around 7 when i scoop them up because there not in the coop and are huddeled in the corner. which makes it easyier. but has me woundering if they will ever get to go out full time. the weather is getting colder week by week and this winter is supossed to be one of our worst in along time feet of snow. we usally dont have any on only a few inches then it melts away in a few days. ramble ramble... ok so if you can let me know what some of the veteren chicker lovers would do? or any clues on the right time to a full time move? its not like they cant stay inside longer i just dont want the weather to be low 40's tops all day. it might have some effect then???? anyways ive looked up everywhere trying to find an answer to when a good time to put young chicks outside in freezing weather. and ever thing else you could think of. nothing. found alot of winter preperations and usfull info for my other flock but thair gonn be fine. they might be ticked i dont let them out nut they will get over it...

any and all opions wanted.

THANKS

 

[S*T*A*R]

I would say that you shouldn't put them 'out for good' until they're just a bit bigger. The weather's about the same where i am. My chickens are 20-30 weeks and i've already 'winterized' their coop. If you do decide to put them out shortly, be sure you have a heat lamp in there! Good luck!

 

[NightCode]

thanks i made my cope design for or nonstop rain and the winds so i lucked out when i found out we were having the winter of all winters here. i dont want to use a heat source so with that out of the picture when is a good time november weather lookes 50's at the biggining of the month to low 40's by the end. just a little more info?????

 

[Judy]

They'll be fine outdoors all night if you have a good draft free well ventilated coop -- but not until they are fully feathered. You have a few weeks before that happens, I imagine.

 

[quintinp]

i wouldn't recommend putting them outside yet, because i live in oklahoma and it is not very cold, but during this time of year it is around 50 degrees at night and i kept my baby chicks in my garage i use for hatching, they are golden laced polish and rhode island red chicks and i hatched them august 27 and it is october 23 now and my heat lamp went out just two nights ago and they died it was very upsetting for me and i dont think you would want to lose as many chicks as you have, because i only had two, not wery many so i would suggest keeping them in a brooder outside that has many bulbs just in case, or keep the little chickies inside

 

[Mrs. K]

If I read your post correctly, you are leaving them out in the day time. That is good, that will develop thicker coats, the shortening of days, and the cooler temperatures all will cause a thicker feathering. I think people get into trouble, when the chicks have been kept under artificial heat and light. That retards the development of a good winter coat, because the animal thinks it is summer. Then if suddenly exposed to colder temps, the animal is not prepared, and suffers.

If you have a good coop with 10 chicks, they will generate enough heat, is the coop is tight against wind. I think that you should be ok, but start sooner than later, right now the temp is changing, but not as much as it will be changing later in the winter. The sooner you can get the chicks getting used to the change, the sooner the chicks will become adjusted. At 5 weeks, all of my chicks were pretty well feathered.

I think that chickens are much healthier outside as soon as possible.

Mrs.K

 

[Mrs. K]

I am not understanding the 2x2 foot part that is not covered, as winter gets closer, you might need to shut that up with something, when it gets really cold, as in low teens.

 

[NightCode]

sorry the 2x2 is the entrence size for them and it's the only part of the coop not covered.

 

[WhetzelMomma]

To help them start acclimating to the cooler nights, you might put their brooder in your garage if you have one. That's what I would to. A good layer of straw in their roost will help keep them more toasty too.