How Feathered Should They Be Before Moving Outside?

[ChickenGirl555]

I'm currently raising my 5th/6th batch of chicks ever, so I'm no stranger to the process of raising/owning chickens, but the difference with this brood is that it's 11 chicks, whereas I've only had a max of 6 chicks at once in any of my other broods. So...it's causing some difficulties. Our typical bin brooder was perfect for 6 chicks to be raised until they were feathered, and then we would move them to a ferret cage that worked well and gave them room to learn ladders, flying, and have more space. But it was just big enough for 6 chicks at that age, so now that we have nearly double that, we can't use the same tactic. We made a new brooder from an old bookshelf, and that worked great for the past two weeks. However, we actually have different ages of chicks in this group. I think half are 1.5 weeks older than the rest, so they're all feathered and I can tell which are boys and girls, but they're giant compared to the new brooder. Additionally, the younger chicks are bantams and one silkie, while the older chicks are standards and another silkie.

Wisconsin has decided to be very difficult this Spring, and it snowed almost the entirety of yesterday, so I don't think it's fit to put these chicks out just yet. It's been in 70s one day and back to 30-40s the next, so I need to make sure the chicks can handle any temperature Wisconsin throws at them. Therefore...how feathered do they have to be? We got the two groups at different ages and times in February. In the past, I've paid attention more to feathering, once they are fine with house temperature, to determine if they are ready or not to live outside with the rest of the flock. Because I have my first silkies, and bantams, and it's unpredictable future weather, how long should I wait? I was hoping to put them out this weekend because the bantams are starting to get their back and chest feathers completed. Please offer any advice or your own stories! Anything helps!

 

[H-B-O]

Fully feathered No fluff at all

 

[ChickenGirl555]

Fully feathered No fluff at all

If I had an additional heat source—which I plan to do—like their heating plate I used when they needed to be 90+ degrees, would they be ok?

 

[H-B-O]

What do they look like??

 

[ChickenGirl555]

The oldest look like the ones in the top picture, the youngest are just *slightly* more feathered than the bottom picture (It’s a few days old).

 

[Ridgerunner]

How old are they and what are your lowest expected temperatures? I've had 5-1/2 week olds go through nights in the mid 20's Fahrenheit with no supplemental heat. Many chicks are fully feathered at 4 weeks, almost all are at five weeks.

I brood in the coop. Mine go straight there from the incubator, even if it is below freezing outside. If you can provide a warm enough spot out there in the coldest weather and a cool enough spot in the warmest weather you can move them outside at any time. To me the biggest challenge in brooding outside is the temperature swings. It can change by 40 degrees practically overnight. As long as you can handle that there is no reason to keep them inside as far as temperature goes.

Take them out there when you think it is cold and observe them. Let them tell you if they are ready.

 

[ChickenGirl555]

How old are they and what are your lowest expected temperatures? I've had 5-1/2 week olds go through nights in the mid 20's Fahrenheit with no supplemental heat. Many chicks are fully feathered at 4 weeks, almost all are at five weeks.

I brood in the coop. Mine go straight there from the incubator, even if it is below freezing outside. If you can provide a warm enough spot out there in the coldest weather and a cool enough spot in the warmest weather you can move them outside at any time. To me the biggest challenge in brooding outside is the temperature swings. It can change by 40 degrees practically overnight. As long as you can handle that there is no reason to keep them inside as far as temperature goes.

Take them out there when you think it is cold and observe them. Let them tell you if they are ready.

The youngest (which are the only ones I’m worrying about) were hatched sometime around March 20th.

Our average night temperatures have been high 20s to low 30s at their worst, so that’s the “bar”.

 

[Flockincrazy]

I'm currently raising my 5th/6th batch of chicks ever, so I'm no stranger to the process of raising/owning chickens, but the difference with this brood is that it's 11 chicks, whereas I've only had a max of 6 chicks at once in any of my other broods. So...it's causing some difficulties. Our typical bin brooder was perfect for 6 chicks to be raised until they were feathered, and then we would move them to a ferret cage that worked well and gave them room to learn ladders, flying, and have more space. But it was just big enough for 6 chicks at that age, so now that we have nearly double that, we can't use the same tactic. We made a new brooder from an old bookshelf, and that worked great for the past two weeks. However, we actually have different ages of chicks in this group. I think half are 1.5 weeks older than the rest, so they're all feathered and I can tell which are boys and girls, but they're giant compared to the new brooder. Additionally, the younger chicks are bantams and one silkie, while the older chicks are standards and another silkie.

Wisconsin has decided to be very difficult this Spring, and it snowed almost the entirety of yesterday, so I don't think it's fit to put these chicks out just yet. It's been in 70s one day and back to 30-40s the next, so I need to make sure the chicks can handle any temperature Wisconsin throws at them. Therefore...how feathered do they have to be? We got the two groups at different ages and times in February. In the past, I've paid attention more to feathering, once they are fine with house temperature, to determine if they are ready or not to live outside with the rest of the flock. Because I have my first silkies, and bantams, and it's unpredictable future weather, how long should I wait? I was hoping to put them out this weekend because the bantams are starting to get their back and chest feathers completed. Please offer any advice or your own stories! Anything helps!

Ohio is being just as difficult so I would say fully feathered or separate them put the bantam/silkies in the ferret cage and leave the others where they are till it warms up the bantams grow slower I had to bring my ducklings in it got too cold for them so I know the feeling

 

[Ridgerunner]

The youngest (which are the only ones I’m worrying about) were hatched sometime around March 20th.

Our average night temperatures have been high 20s to low 30s at their worst, so that’s the “bar”.

So about 4-1/2 weeks. I'd want to wait another week with no supplemental heat.

If I had an additional heat source—which I plan to do—like their heating plate I used when they needed to be 90+ degrees, would they be ok?

I put mine out at 1 day old with supplemental heat. I use a heat lamp, not a heat plate, and am confident my lamp will provide enough warmth. I have no experience with a heat plate.

 

[ChickenGirl555]

I started a different thread asking if these two groups would integrate ok after separation until the bantams were old enough...so, would that be possible? Would they completely un-integrate within 1-2 weeks if I separated the standards from the bantams and silkies?