How soon can they move to the coop?

[shadowfox]

My chicks will be three weeks old on Tuesday. They are in my laundry room where temps are pretty stable around 70-ish degrees Fahrenheit. They only go in their heating pad brooder cave occasionally during the day and sleep there at night.

Outside nighttime temps are in the high 50s. It likely won't drop below 50 until mid October. Daytime temps are still hitting the high 80s right now. By mid October are still typically in the 70s.

At the rate I'm going, their coop will be ready in two weeks. That will put them at nearly 5 weeks old. Will that be too soon to put them in the coop fill time without any heat? We can't get electricity safely out to the coop and don't foresee ever doing so.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Are they spending days outside yet? If not, they can..

My birds all go out just like you describe without any cause for alarm.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

5 weeks is plenty old. You could move them even earlier if not for the coop not being ready.
3-4 weeks in that setting id use a huddle box and send them on out,or if possible run power and use the MHP if I was worried them.
I brooded outside with the MHP and by 3 weeks in cool April spring weather they weren't even using the cave

 

[aart]

use a huddle box

Make them a 'huddle box', put it in the brooder after turning off the heat(you might have to 'persuade' them to use it) then move it out to the coop with them.

Cardboard box with a bottom a little bigger than what they need to cuddle next to each other without piling and tall enough for them to stand in.

Cut an opening on one side a couple inches from bottom and big enough for 2-3 of them to go thru at once.

Fill the bottom with some pine shavings an inch or so deep.

This will give them a cozy place to sleep/rest, block any drafts and help hold their body heat in.

 

[shadowfox]

Thanks for the suggestions! We've got some boxes that I can use for them to huddle in. I think I can also rig up a run for them to use during the day until the coop is ready.