Hubby says no to moving them outside

[reddogmaster2]

Around my house, Mrs Reddogmaster2 does the OPPOSITE of what I say, so I'm kinda at a loss.
But I am an advocate for getting chickens out in the coop as fast as possible. The Good Lord did not intend for my laundry room to be a dang hatchery!

Keep us posted on the chicks!

 

[Vicker]

Everyone has a right to their wrong opinions. I see a few here (saying in jest). I agree that protection is going to be the main issue at this time of year.

 

[rosemarythyme]

But does that mean they'd have a hard time with really hot temperatures also? And would low humidity with high heat be more dangerous also?

If it was hot enough, yes I'd be concerned about having chicks outside, just as I would be if it was extremely cold. In a "normal" range of temperatures it should be fine to brood outdoors.

 

[Laralee]

I need some advice please.

We’ve got 4, 3-week old chicks, and 2, 2 month (we’re guessing here as they were given to us but they’re about twice the size of the babies) old chicks that are in a separated cage inside our house.
Daily temps here are high 90’s during the day, low to mid 70’s at night.
I say they’re ready to be moved outside, he says no.
They can go outside, in the cage, on our concrete back porch or in the run with the bigger girls.
what do y’all think?

No to joining the big ones. I’d wait until 8 -10 weeks and when the temperature is more reasonable.

 

[dekel18042]

I had chicks hatched July 1. Initially they were brooded in the sunroom but it was hot here so at two weeks we took their hot plate away from them . At 3 weeks and two days we moved them outside to the grow out coop, a small coop with its own enclosed and covered run. That run is right next to the other chickens' run and the other birds free range all around them. They're doing well at 5.5 weeks old. Perhaps in another month or so, we'll start opening the door to their run and allow them to come out and free range with the others. That is how we've introduced all our birds and have never had a problem. By the time we open the door to let the littles free range with the others, they seem to know each other. Depending on the outside temperature and number of chicks they get moved outside between 3 and eight weeks old, and the brooder is set up either in the sunroom or garage.

 

[Dry Creek Chickens]

Older one is just shy of 6 weeks and younger ones are 4 weeks.

 

[Thomas70]

Well most of us have had issues with predators.

I myself lost one that age to a hawk at about those ages also.

Most people will tell you that the hardest part about keeping poultry alive is that everything else wants to eat them.

I don't think either of you are wrong, its just a matter of perspective.

Here's an example, I've got ducklings 2 weeks older than your younger chicks. I haven't put them outside without supervision until today because even my adult drake wants to eat them when he sees them. (You would never guess it by the look of him, he's the friendliest drake to humans that ever could be. He even comes right up to me and rubs his bill on my finger.)

So imagine my shock when this friendly drake the first time I put the small ducklings outside goes straight after them so fast I barely stopped a duck murder. And that took only a few seconds when he saw them to decide 'food'.

Do you have a pen to put them in? Something safe? And night predators are often worse than the day predators.

Also, I was running some math figures and it seems like it would be cheaper for me to buy electric fence kits than buy material and build a second coop just for ducklings. And by doing so I could even have more options because the poles etc would be adjustable and moveable. (Although this doesn't account for winter.)

So it depends on what you have as an alternative.

And if yours are in a garage, there's not really any harm I think.

(People will notice if you are putting cocks outside though, because right around after ...shoot I forgot the right age... at some point the cocks will start making noise.)

The drake will kill the ducklings but not to eat them. He does not recognize them as his flock and he considers them a threat so kills them to protect his domain.

 

[Peggsblueinc]

I need some advice please.

We’ve got 4, 3-week old chicks, and 2, 2 month (we’re guessing here as they were given to us but they’re about twice the size of the babies) old chicks that are in a separated cage inside our house.
Daily temps here are high 90’s during the day, low to mid 70’s at night.
I say they’re ready to be moved outside, he says no.
They can go outside, in the cage, on our concrete back porch or in the run with the bigger girls.
what do y’all think?

At 6 weeks I put them out. If you put them with your older girls they will get picked on. I waited till 8 for mixing. They still get picked on but that’s the pecking order. They will find there place. But that’s just me. I’m a new comer only been raising for 1 year. Love it.

 

[Killyhawker]

I mentioned this in a different post. I put my five week old with my three and four-month-old by using a dog kennel so they could be seen in interact but not be reached. After two weeks, are you open the small corner in the back so they could get out and interact and also have a place that they could retreat to. A month later, they are all interacting fine without any bullying. I just removed the large kennel and put a small area in the corner under the coop in nesting boxes for them, just in case. Mine are in a very secure enclosure outside. The small, young ones are slow growing, bantam Silkie and d’Ucclé.

 

[ChicoryBlue]

I mentioned this in a different post. I put my five week old with my three and four-month-old by using a dog kennel so they could be seen in interact but not be reached. After two weeks, are you open the small corner in the back so they could get out and interact and also have a place that they could retreat to. A month later, they are all interacting fine without any bullying. I just removed the large kennel and put a small area in the corner under the coop in nesting boxes for them, just in case. Mine are in a very secure enclosure outside. The small, young ones are slow growing, bantam Silkie and d’Ucclé.

I noticed the orange rope tied around the trees in your coop. Is that for flapping/climbing?