How soon can I move my little lady back to the cold outside world?

[100AcreFarm]

I've had one hen inside for just over a week now getting her crop cleaned out and used to real food again. Her crop is all better and she's eating and drinking normally again. In the meantime winter has hit with a vengeance! It's been really cold and nasty the last few days with windchills in the mid teens. It was in the low 30's today and sunny so I let her spend about a half hour out with her buddies and then brought her back inside. She's so lonely and they received her back with open wings!

I've read here somewhere that it can be dangerous to move a chicken from a warm house directly to cold coop. Does anyone have any advice for how to go about doing that safely? I can move her from kitchen (upper 60's-low 70's) to the mudroom (50's) then to the garage which is uninsulated and unheated and really no warmer than the coop which has a heat lamp in it. How much time should I take to reaclimate her to the temp change? I'm in Michigan so we're talking 20's and 30's usually but possibly down to the teens now and then.

I have kids coming home from college and other family in town starting next Tues. I really don't want her still inside when everyone is here unless it's absolutely necessary. Would 2-3 days of cooling down be sufficient? I tried searching the forums for info but I guess I don't know how to phrase my search because I came up empty.

 

[PunkinPeep]

I'm not from cold country, but based on your situation, i would think that if you let her sleep in the 50-ish degree area a couple nights while spending increasingly larger amounts of time outside during the day, she should be ready to go sleep in the coop in 2 to 3 days....that is as long as she is completely over her troubles and doesn't have anything making her weak or susceptible to getting chilled.

 

[ibpboo]

Keep putting her out for longer periods each day. Should be able to do it in less than a week, keep an eye though. The other chickens should be able to huddle her too. Mine do that, to keep each other warm.

Good luck!