I'm ready for them to go outside, Are they?

[Delmuth]

Hello all, altough I have had mutiple flocks over the years this is the first time ive raised any from chicks. I purchased 10 White Leghorns pullets from the local Rural King on Feb 3. I have them in the garage in a large homemade brooder. Week one and two they recieved added heat from a heat lamp. Weeks 3 to now no heat was needed because we had a record breaking heat wave. This week and next we are back in the upper 30's at night. No need for added heat in the garage because it only gets down to about 60 at night.

My question is are they ready to go out to the coop outside? Im ready to get them out of the garage. The brooder is nothing more then a frame sitting on the garage floor wraped in wire with pine bedding on the floor. It was fine when they where little chicks, but now its nothing but pine bedding scratched and kicked out of the brooder, in the waterer, feeder, all over the garage. Its one hell of a mess that requires daily devotion on clean up to keep the wife happy.

Im in west central Florida. Current temps and next week forecast is Upper 30's at night and high 60 to low 70 during the day. I have a large outdoor coop 10' w by 40' L with a 4' w by 8' L hen house inside it. I can attach a picture later of current feather devolpment when i get home, but i would say that altough not as full of feathers as an adult there appears to be no more of the fluffy yellow feathers remaining.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi, welcome to BYC!

My birds that age are outside with a high around 65 and a low around 40 and a "huddle box". But I keep a heat lamp at night still, partly because I also have 2 week old chicks with them.

Even if birds do OK... if they are spending extra energy to stay warm then they aren't spending it to grow. But I'm a little on the cautious side of most things.

ETA: 10 should be able to warm each other... hatcheries ship 15 day old chicks with no heat, pretty often.. though they do consider the travel route and time of year.

 

[Delmuth]

Decision was put them outside but include a coop heater. Has a thermostat, won’t start fire, and it looks like they have their own flat screen TV.

 

[Delmuth]

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

View attachment 1292201

Birds shown are more than ready to be out without heat. Nice little cockerel

 

[lazy gardener]

Agreed with OGM. My birds are brooded outdoors with a MHP. They wean themselves from heat at 4 - 5 weeks old with night time temps in 30's and day time temps 40's to low 70's. Your chicks DO NOT need any supplemental heat at this point. You may feel the need to baby them a bit more. If that is the case, I suggest that you give them a huddle box. Do a thread search, and you will find the details.

 

[Delmuth]

Birds shown are more than ready to be out without heat. Nice little cockerel

I got lucky out of 10 pullets only one was a cockerel which saves me looking for a rooster later. I’ve always wanted a foghorn leghorn.