How long are chicks in brooder before putting outside?

[daeichler]

I have my first set of chickens (22 Cornish Rock crosses and 12 RIR - all males). They have been in a brooder since they arrived at a day or two of age on August 27th. I was thinking of putting them outside in one of two chicken tractors I've built (poultry netting on the sides, cover on top, no wind protection on the sides) this Wednesday, when they'd be just over 2 weeks of age. The forecast for this next week once they're outside is highs in the low to mid 70's and overnight lows in the low to high 50's. Some rain is forecast (30-50% chance).

Can anyone advise if the chicks should be hearty enough to survive outside with this as the forecast at 2 weeks of age?

Many thanks,

David

 

[deerman]

No, keep them with heat. Start at 95 reduce 5 degree every week. So at 2 weeks they need 85 degree. Need to be with heat for about 6 week if temp. drop to 50 degree. They will pile on top of each other,and kill the ones on the bottem.

 

[augiedranch]

i know some people will disagree with me.. but i have never had any problems/sicknesses/anything with any of my chicks i have raised...

but remember i live in texas.

i give them a full week in the brooder solid. then after week two i put them out for about an hour a day to enjoy the sunshine and scratch around in the dirt.

when they turn one month old. they are outside all day long every day. and come in under a light at night.

then a little after a month old they are outside in chicken tractors full time.

by two and a half months old they are free range with all of my other chickens and roosters of all other ages.

i have never. ever. had any problems with this and i have a extremely low parasite problem with my youngsters and they get really fat and happy.

 

[pbjmaker]

my chicks are two and three weeks old and they spend about 4 hours outside a day right now as long as the temp is at least 70. They too are fat and happy. I don't put them out if it is damp/rainy/colder. They come in around 4 or 5 pm and stay under a heat lamp at night.

 

[Mom2Cool]

Quote:
This is what I've been doing. I'm in NJ and it's about 60 degrees at night. Mine are 4 wks old & I think they still need the heat at night. I usually bring them in about 6:30 or 7:00 pm (getting earlier as the days pass) and tonight when I put the cage they're in back in it's plass prior to me having the light back on them they were all REALLY heaped on top of each other. They don't sleep like that when they're comfortable & I've BO's. I'm thinking another 2 wks before putting them outside at night. I was actually just coming here to check to see others but I really think it'll be at least 2 wks especially since the nights are getting so cool now...

 

[daeichler]

Thanks to those of you who have replied to my original post.

So, one question - my chicken tractors are going to be in my garden (about 100' from my house/garage) and my brooder set-up is in my garage. Any idea how to get the chicks to and from the chicken tractor so they can spend the day in the day in the sun and the evening in the brooder under the lamp?

The joys of reverse engineering...

David

 

[deerman]

Can you just put a brooder light on one end of your chicken tractor.
You can brood them outside.

 

[Mom2Cool]

LOL well you've got me here Dave (my sons name is Dave btw). I have a barred rock & a Black Astrolorp that just kindof put themselves to bed at night because they're looking to roost in their coop & they're about 3 months old. The Buff Orpingtons are about 4 weeks old & I have them in a pen for the day light hours or the warmer part of the day. yesterday they didn't go out at all & convincing the BR & the BA to get back in their coop was interesting to say the leat (the rain kicks up some great bugs I guess) & while they hated the rain they weren't going to quit free ranging the yard on their own accord. Hubby & I had to literally herd them back in. LOL The Buff Orphingtons that are 4 wks I usually bring the cage out to the pen after it's cleaned & I bend down & say "Ok who's ready to go in?" & they are frankly almost putting themselves in my hands. Hubby & I have had more than a few laughs over it because if someone had told me this I don't think I'd believe them, but that's just what they do almost hop in my hands. It's almost as though they're tired at night &just "ready to go to sleep". It's normally an hour or so before I turn the lights back on for them & they are OUT like LIGHTS alseep until the lights go on! Then it's up for a while chasing the bugs that are attracted to the lights in their brooder.... LOL oh & umm no my animals aren't too spoiled.

If your brooder is in the garage & the chicken tractor is portable can you just pull it into the garage? Don't you normally move them out of the brooder? I would start by moving them out & get theminto a routine of going out & then coming in. That's how I got mine almost jumping in my hands. Though mine are in a brooder in the family room but that's a whole different story.... LOL

 

[Mom2Cool]

Quote:
Oh see this is why I come here to BYC because you all have such easy answers that are just common sense & I'd be running around getting them "into a routine". LOL Really this is just so smart deerman.

 

[daeichler]

I guess I could get a long extension cord and try to hang the light in the tractor. However, there are no sides on it so the drafts would probably make if feel as though there was no heat light on. Perhaps if I were to put a few straw bales around them??

I have not yet moved the chicks from the brooder into the tractor. I'll probably start this week with getting the chicks into the sunlight during the day and then, perhaps this next weekend, trying to experiment how to get them into the chicken tractor and then more specifically how to get them out.

Keep the good thoughts coming!

David