How soon can these little guys go outside for some play time?

[Tala]

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I have always moved chicks outside FOR LIFE at 2 weeks old, so there shouldn't be any issues for them being out a bit at 3 weeks. Wind would be the only thing I would worry about at 50-60 degrees. If it's sunny, they won't get too cold in the sunshine.


If you have older chickens you won't want to mix them in the coop while the babies are just 5 weeks old. I free range mine together at 8 weeks where they have the whole yard to escape from a bigger chicken, but I never pen them in the same coop until they are close to POL at about 20weeks.

 

[imthedude]

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ha! small world. i grew up in little rock and now live in colorado.

 

[Alabama ee]

All mine are the same age of 3 weeks one day. Should I put something out there for heat? I have a heat lamp on them now. Right under it it is 80. However, they don't stay there. They go to the other side where it is 70-75 or so. Every once in a while just one will go under it when they sleep. She stretches out like a person sunbathing.

 

[imthedude]

this thread brought up another interesting question: assuming these little guys are all feathered out, healthy, energetic, normal birds, what is the min. night time temp that they can stand at 6 weeks or so of age? we can still get pretty chilly nights in northern colorado in mid-april. just curious about when to get nervous after i kick them out.

 

[Tala]

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I don't know about minimum temp, but at about 5 weeks I put their heat lamp on a dusk to dawn timer so it only runs at night. Then they can get under it if they still need to.

I've let them have the lamp at night as late as 16-18 weeks with fall chicks when it was below freezing, (only on super-cold nights, not all the time) because they are still mini-molting at that age and they seemed to be shivvering without it. In my experience, it takes 'em a bit longer to get enough down to keep them warm enough at night.