How old should the chicks be before they can go outside?

[jill]

I've got 28 7-week old leghorn girls that are raising the roof inside their horse troughs in my garage that's probably about 10 degrees higher in temperature than the outside air. They are getting quite busy in there and dump over their food and water, so I'm cleaning it all the time to keep it dry and I usually come out with feathers, wet food and who knows what (?) stuck all over my face and hair and I think we'd both be happy if they went OUT.

The lows are around 35 degrees. Would it be too cold if they were provided straw possibly in their tubs turned over? They would be turned out with older hens and a couple of cochin roos.

Thank you!

 

[twigg]

Quote:
Let 'em out

They might need some heat at night still, but during the day they will run in and out.

Mine were doing this at 4 weeks, with night time lows as low as 40. I took the heat lamp out today. Expected low is 50, and I'll keep an eye on them on the camera

 

[Tuffoldhen]

As long as they have a heatlamp to get under they should be fine... I have 5 week olds I just put out to the brooder with heatlamp in the garage...Chicks chill easy til the weather warms up...they don't fully feather til 8 to 10 weeks....

I never put chicks out with adults til they are almost the same size... the older ones can starve the young ones out and they really don't need adult feed at this point...still should be on starter/grower til 17 week or point of lay....

 

[wynedot55]

at 7 wks old its time to let them out in the henhouse.but they may need some heat at nite.

 

[Crazy4GameCocks]

Mine are 3weeks and they r out side with a heat lamp and a box it get in too the lows get around 40 here from time to time and they r doing fine they been out sence they were 2 weeks

 

[ctcasper]

I was wondering this same thing. I have some chickens that were hatched on 2-11-08 so that makes them almost 8 weeks. The low tonight is suppose to be about 30 degrees and I have them outside in a 4x4 plywood coop. There are 15 of them and they have food and water. we covered the whole coop with a blanket to make it more tight. We just got the chicks this morning and I am hoping this will be okay as we have no other place for them right now really.

 

[silkiechicken]

I put my birds out at just under 2 weeks old with (2) 100W bulbs. Nights get into the 30's every night so far and it snowed last week.

 

[ctcasper]

Will my birds get sick in the conditions I described above?? What happens if they get too cold???

 

[mangled]

Ours have been outside with 2 heat lamps since 5 weeks, and our lowest night was 28.

I wouldn't put them out with the full grown birds just yet. Ours are now 7 weeks and in their separate run, but 2 of the stinkers today Houdini-ed their way out and ended up with some serious pecking wounds. Those 2 are back down in the house with BluKote and duct tape tonight.

The bigger girls & guys just have no tolerance for them. They were running for their lives when I got up there.

Good luck-
Em

 

[rooster-red]

Quote:
If they get too cold, they will get sick and die.

I keep mine away from the adults until they are big enough to defend themselves at about 15 weeks.