How early can the chicks be moved to a coop and pen?

[DottieMarie]

Our chicks aren't even hatched yet but my head is spinning with questions.
I get my chicks in a week and a half and have a large plastic container waiting for them. (harware cloth on top with a heat lamp. My question is, how soon can they be moved to a coop and pen?
The coop will be 8 x 12 and the pen is 50 x 50, welded wire with hardware cloth along the bottom. We're adding netting over the top to keep the hawks out.
I've been reading posts here for about a month and you guys are the best. I've already learned so much but have such a long way to go.

 

[MRNpoultry]

My chicks moved out at 2 months old. THe low at that time was about 60s and highs about 70. Mine have to sleep in a semi-closed run so the hens can't get to them.

 

[DottieMarie]

So is it the night time temps that will dictate when I move them out or are there other considerations too?

 

[dacjohns]

Lots of considerations.

Night temperatures

Protection and heating they will have

Their age

How used they are to cooler temperatures

I put mine in a coop at about 3 weeks old. They are now 4 weeks old and getting feathered pretty well. The coop is fully enclosed with some cracks in the walls but it isn't really drafty. I was using two heat lamps but I am now using just one. Temperatures here have been in the high 40s to low 60s at night. During the day I turn off the lamp and open a screened door so they get light and air.

There are 54 birds in an 8 X 8 coop. It is a little crowded but I hope to halve the number of birds within a week so they will have more space.

 

[morelcabin]

Mine go out to the shed into a pen from day one...night temps are 30 or less. Sometimes even 0, there is frost and snow...but, They have a draft free area about 5x6 feet. You can put a 'ring' made out of cardboard around the area about a foot high to keep drafts out, but other than that they have a heat lamp and that's it. My pen is not insulated, but it is dry and draft free. I don't let them outside in the run until about 6 weeks though

 

[Davaroo]

In a nutshell : When they are ready.

Okay, lets break that down. Chicks need warmth in the beginning. 95 degrees at 2" above the litter for the first week and 5 degrees less each week until you reach room temp. So that about 4 weeks in the brooder.

Well, that is IF the temps out side are moderate. I see youre in MI- what are your night temps liable to be then? 60-70 degrees should be alright if you prevent all drafts and give them supplemental heat at night.

I'd suggest you build them a hover for the coop when you move them out there. Put a heat lamp in it with a dimmer and you can adjust the heat for them as needed.
Here's the idea - cheap and effective:

http://plamondon.com/pasture_hover.html

Once their hard, outer feathers come in at about 8 weeks, it'll be summer and you won't need any heat. You may not need any before then.

 

[klong]

Help! I'm a chicken newbie too, and I have exactly the same question!

We bought chicks about 4 weeks ago - one (brown leghorn) was about 2 weeks old at the time, and the others (bantie and Americauna, or is it Auracona?) about 1 week. So, in other words, they are now between 5 and 6 weeks old. They have lots of feathers, but the youngest one has some down still - her head is still pretty downy.

I live in Seattle, where the temps recently have been about 48 at night and high 50s - low 60s in the day. I have built a coop from an old doghouse and it's not draft-free but not too bad.

Now, the chickens are in a tall box in our bathroom, but they are getting TOTALLY out of control, like rowdy teenagers, so we have GOT TO DO SOMETHING! I've got a blog going that shows pictures of the chickens and coop, here:

http://www.urbanchickenseattle.blogspot.com/

I'm thinking of putting a light in the coop to hopefully warm things up at night (I might add that the coop pictured on the blog is NOT done, but a mad session with the hammer, wood and chicken wire should get me there this weekend).

So, am I gonna kill my chickens if I put them out at this point? Or am I safe, provided I put a light in the coop?

 

[CoyoteMagic]

Mine went out to the coop at 4 weeks old. Temps were still in the 40's at night but all 19 of them were snug as a bug in the dog house "coop". The 16 I have left (passed off 3 roos) are still all trying to fit in there. If they would just move over to the main coop it would be all ok!

 

[zippychickens]

I put my chicks out when they were 4weeks. They had most of there feathers and since our days were warm I didn't give them a heat lamp. for the night time I used a dog house with shavings for them to sleep in. They were fine. The first 2 nights they huddled on top if each other in a corner of the run. They were obviously cold. So I had to move them all into the doghouse for the first 2 nights. #rd night they went into the doghouse on their own. a general rule of thumb is , they are cold if they are huddled up. You can try putting them in the coop and if they huddle give them a heat lamp or a shelter like a doghouse.

 

[CoyoteMagic]

Quote:
Same with mine