I see opinions all over the place, but chicks moving outside?

[sommrluv]

They Will be four weeks this Friday and Sunday.

Only one of them doesn't have all of their feathers. They are Buff Orpingtons.

They are very active, flying around, and the other morning they even knocked their light off their brooder (rubbermaid tub with 65 watt bulb)

They are currently sleeping far away from the bulb when inside. Outside we made a hutch, it's a pretty good size for 5 chickens. It's six feet long by 1 foot wide, and has a 250 watt lamp in the corner. They go in this nice days to be able to run around a bit more. Can they sleep in this now? I'd like to move the hutch into the chicken run with the other girls, and put up a divider so everyone can get acquainted.

 

[Renee']

I think you'd be pushing your luck by sending them outside to sleep.

I look at it this way. Two to four more weeks with this batch in the brooder or, send them outside, they accidentally die; then you get to start all over again with an additional 8-12 weeks inside.

I know having them in the brooder is a pain but I wouldn't send them outside so soon.

What's the night time temp there? Here in So Cal, it was 40 last night, waaaaaay to cold for chicks.

 

[Katy]

Really only you can know the answer.....you know your temps and the weather, the area you want to move them to, etc. I almost alwasy move chicks out by that age, but I know what the conditions are here and the booder area they're goin into. If you've got an area free from drafts with a light that they can use for heat if they need it, they'll more than likely be just fine.

 

[sommrluv]

I wasn't sure how much the heat lamp would help. It's about 40-60 where I am. It's been all over the place. We've had 90 days one day, and than 50 the next.

I guess I'll have to make a bigger indoor brooder. My husband got them as a "surprise" for me when I was sick in the hospital, when we had decided NOT to do chicks this year. So fun...coming home to work! LOL. So their tub is only the 30 gallon or so, and they are fine where they are, but they seem to be outgrowing it rapidly. One chick is getting a little picked on.

 

[sommrluv]

Those are 40-60 degree nights. This last week we've been at least 70. I'm in eastern PA.

 

[fastpat]

Four week old chicks need a minimum temp of 75 degrees, night and day. At about 5 weeks that can be a minimum of 70, night and day. Will your "outside" coop be capable of maintaining those temps, without drafts of any kind?

 

[Chicken Little Farmer]

Mine are 9 weeks, and they are buffs(i LOVE buffs!!!) they grow pretty fast so i would say that they could go out at about 6 weeks, and you have a heat bulb in there wich would probly cut off half a week. just so long as pretetors cant get in, id say your fne at about 5 1/2-6 weeks when you can put them out. Mine can survive with 40 degree weather at night, and i only have three!!! they will kepp each other warm too.

 

[sommrluv]

Hmm, not sure about the drafts. Directly under the bulb, the temp measures 95. During the day out side, they don't go towards the bulb much.

The bottom of about 50% of that is hardware cloth. I might wait another week.

Thanks for the opinions.

 

[kimb]

Mine have all been outside - since i got them ...

(and I'm in NH) ... the 8 silkies are coming 3 weeks and the white rock & buttercup are coming 4 weeks ...

The brooder is 2.5' x 3.5~4'ish about 2' & 1' tall (it's a triangle) fully enclosed (with 2 small open-able windows) ... it would be at 90degrees with 1 250w red heat lamp... at 1am and 5 am (when I checked) so it couldn't have dropped much - if any @ 2,3,4am ... I had the lamp lower when they were younger because it was still in the making , and because it would concentrate the heat better - and be warmer for them to get under if they were to get cold ...

right now I have 2 250w lamps (1 red, 1 clear) ... on a dimmer switch - so during the day I turn on the clear light and dim down "power" ... and then at night I turn off the clear and then "full power" the red with a side window open (3" x 5" ) and so far each morning most of them are usually hanging out at the window (and the brooder is at 85) ... I can also dim the red lamp down at night and close the window...

I'd say they'd probably be fine with the 250w bulb in there at night as long as there isn't a big draft ... but put a thermostate in there for the day/night (check on it before you go to bed - as late as possible, and as soon as you get up - as early as possible) to see what the temp is near the lamp (not directly under) ... if it's at 80/85 a little bit away from the lamp still I'd say your good to go - if they're cold they can go directly under the lamp (where it's warmer) and huddle too...

BUT its your decision