Indoor moving to outdoor in winter

[gardengoats11]

I have a chick (well had) that hatched in mid October. The other chickens picked on it so it was brought to the house to raise. It is now residing in the basement. Would like to move it outside. Would the transition from inside to outside (temps 0-40 F) for the next couple months be too much to do this now? Any suggestions for making the transition now?

Thanks

Gary B

 

[Judy]

If you're talking about putting it in with adult chickens, I think you'll have a lot more problem with integration than cold. Integration can be hard enough on a lone newbie when the newbie is an adult. It should be OK outdoors if you have a separate coop for it, I would think. I'd just be sure it had enough litter to snuggle down into.

 

[CMV]

The bird should be about the right age to integrate, but the conditions are not ideal for it. The bird is going to need to be acclimated to the colder temps, which takes time, an unheated space, a heat lamp and perseverance. Honestly, I would wait a couple more months and integrate the bird when the temps are a bit more civilized. The bird is going to need a long, slow introductory period to be safely introduced into the flock without it getting beaten within an inch of its life. Bad weather is just another stressor to add to an already stressful situation. I would recommend waiting just a bit longer.

 

[elmo]

I agree with the previous poster about waiting.