How soon is too soon to put into a coop?

[chimama26]

I am new to chicken keeping, I have a pretty nice coop that I will be putting together in the next week or so, meanwhile my 8 chicks are quickly outgrowing my brooding pen I got for them. If I got them in the coop soon and put the heating lamp in there would they be safe/warm enough? I do not have the run built yet and it is too chilly and wet for them to go outside yet anyways (we are in Oregon and it is rain, rain, rain). I understand I have to block off the nesting boxes until they are much older so they dont sleep in them right? Can they sleep in the coop yet? They are about 6 weeks old, may 7? They are starting to lose their baby feathers but are running out of room and seem to be mad about being "all cooped up".

Here is the coop:


Thanks

 

[snow5164]

Hello,
They say til they have all their feathers they can't keep themselves warm . That being said you just have to provide a heat source then til they are feathered out.Some on here raise their chicks in the coop from day one ... test it over night and see what temperature you get under the light ..then decide

Also it's good the run is not done , as at this young age they don't need much room to be happy and tend to wonder off anyways.

 

[aart]

6-7 weeks old? They should be totally off heat by now.
How warm is it in the house vs outside?
Turn off the heat lamp and give them a huddle box....you could have them outside within a week IMO.

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.

 

[chokethechicken]

I've had mine in a coop since day one. As long as there's more than 4 they stay huddled together at night and keep warm. I've never used heat lamps

 

[aart]

I've had mine in a coop since day one. As long as there's more than 4 they stay huddled together at night and keep warm. I've never used heat lamps

Never use any heat at all, and no broody hen, from the time they hatch???
Where do you live?

 

[chokethechicken]

Never use any heat at all, and no broody hen, from the time they hatch???
Where do you live?

South Texas where there is no winter. Summer heat year round with an occasional cold front

 

[chokethechicken]

Baby chicks in their small house. We let them free roam during the day. Only bad thing is buzzards will pick them up if you don't supervise them when they are out ):

 

[ochochicas]

It really depends on where you live and how cold it gets. I like to keep my chicks above 60 degrees until they are at least 8 weeks old.

You might find that they sleep in the nesting boxes. They will also poop in there, which is not good since they eggs will get dirty once they start to lay. You can provide them with some small roosting sticks or branches to they learn to roost before you put them in the coop. They usually pick up roosting fairly quickly, but I always have a couple that prefer to sleep in the nest box.