How cold is too cold?

[AudreyP]

I moved my 6 week old chicks outside 2 days ago. Temps have been perfect 85/60•, but tonight the low will be 44•. Do I need to bring them inside?

 

[All4Eggz]

They should be fine.

 

[AudreyP]

They should be fine.

Thanks, just nervous. They don’t really want to go in their coop. They’ve slept outside the past 2 nights.

 

[All4Eggz]

Thanks, just nervous. They don’t really want to go in their coop. They’ve slept outside the past 2 nights.

Try putting them in the coop for the night. That’ll help them preserve body heat.
Although they will be fine outside too. It’s just good to help them learn where to go to sleep at night.

 

[Justso]

Thanks, just nervous. They don’t really want to go in their coop. They’ve slept outside the past 2 nights.

Yes, it's important to train them where to go at night. You may need to also train them to use the roosting bar! Very tedious, but eventually they pick up on it.

 

[3KillerBs]

They'll be fine.

You need to put chicks into the coop at night to train them where they're supposed to sleep. They don't know that they're not supposed to camp out until you teach them.

 

[AudreyP]

They'll be fine.

You need to put chicks into the coop at night to train them where they're supposed to sleep. They don't know that they're not supposed to camp out until you teach them.

Oh my gosh! Every time I put a chick in, one would come back out. We need a door…I finally just kept my arms from blocking them. They changed their tune literally when they realized they were warm again. It sounded like purring. They got quiet and stayed in all night. They tried camping out again tonight, but I hearded them in again. It was a little easier this time.

 

[8shotsmorethots]

isn't their natural instinct to sleep on something they can roost on? Have they just been laying on the ground to sleep? Even my 3-4 week old chicks in their blooder all sleep on this stick I put in for them.

 

[Poodlemum]

The lack of a door on most prefabs is so irritating! We played the same game with our first group that went out Me crawling into the farthest corner of the dumb run, popping one through the door, trying to keep them from all going back out… Eventually I found a frozen lasagna box that had blown into the yard and used that lol. They finally got it after about four days!

 

[8shotsmorethots]

I saw it recommended in a video to put your birds in the coop for 2 days after leaving the brooder and leaving them in there without access to the run, so they learn that the coop is home and where they sleep.