Hi,
I have 4 barred rock pullets who are now about 4.5 weeks and are mostly feathered. I have read all the threads about when to put babies outside, and understand they need to be weaned off the heat slowly, let outside in small increments to start, gradually building to 100% outside.
My problem is this weather. How do I get them acclimated to anything when it is literally 81 degrees one day and snowing the next, then back in the 80's?
It was in the high 70's on Saturday, they loved being outside. But in typical "dogwood winter" fashion, it snowed yesterday here in the mountains of western NC, and today it is 81 and hot again! Yesterday in the cold, I had them outside on the covered porch with their electric hen brooder plugged in (they had been weaned off it indoors, but I didn't want to leave them out in the cold yet without a way to get warm,) the top open on their brooder box so they could go in and out, because they were going crazy and I figured a few minutes was better than nothing. But they liked it outside so I left them out longer. They were protected from the strong winds, could go get warm under the electric hen when they needed to, and it was much warmer in the sun but still pretty chilly. They did fine.
NOW, they're on the porch again and are laying around lethargic in the heat! Nothing that looks medically alarming or anything... We are all having trouble getting acclimated to be honest. Is getting too hot too fast a problem for them? It's supposed to get cold again by the end of the week so I feel like they're never going to get used to anything, and we're all tired of them in the house.
My main question is, can we put them in the coop full time even when the temps are fluctuating so much? I am sure it will get cold at least one more time, "blackberry winter," after another hot spell.
I have 4 barred rock pullets who are now about 4.5 weeks and are mostly feathered. I have read all the threads about when to put babies outside, and understand they need to be weaned off the heat slowly, let outside in small increments to start, gradually building to 100% outside.
My problem is this weather. How do I get them acclimated to anything when it is literally 81 degrees one day and snowing the next, then back in the 80's?
It was in the high 70's on Saturday, they loved being outside. But in typical "dogwood winter" fashion, it snowed yesterday here in the mountains of western NC, and today it is 81 and hot again! Yesterday in the cold, I had them outside on the covered porch with their electric hen brooder plugged in (they had been weaned off it indoors, but I didn't want to leave them out in the cold yet without a way to get warm,) the top open on their brooder box so they could go in and out, because they were going crazy and I figured a few minutes was better than nothing. But they liked it outside so I left them out longer. They were protected from the strong winds, could go get warm under the electric hen when they needed to, and it was much warmer in the sun but still pretty chilly. They did fine.
NOW, they're on the porch again and are laying around lethargic in the heat! Nothing that looks medically alarming or anything... We are all having trouble getting acclimated to be honest. Is getting too hot too fast a problem for them? It's supposed to get cold again by the end of the week so I feel like they're never going to get used to anything, and we're all tired of them in the house.
My main question is, can we put them in the coop full time even when the temps are fluctuating so much? I am sure it will get cold at least one more time, "blackberry winter," after another hot spell.
