is 30 days too young to put outside permanently?

[Desirai]

I've been keeping my chicks in their brooder in our downstairs porch thing at my grandparents' house.

the coop is almost complete, maybe 95% done. my grandparents want them out TODAY into the coop.

I insist that they're too young but my grandparents' argument is "chickens were born outside so they stay outside"

and "when we raised chickens they were born in the barn and stayed in the barn"

but I don't want them to go outside this young.. they barely have any feathers

 

[Kevin565]

Whats the high and lows for your area right now? Would they have a heat lamp?

 

[TrystInn]

Unless its 80F outside, its too cold for them without an infrared heat lamp.

Find a friend who can host your chicks for another few weeks until their temp (-5 degrees each week) matches the outdoor temps) or until the coop is done. And get GOING this weekend getting that coop done.

 

[bobbi-j]

My chicks are now two weeks old. They have been in the coop since they were 3 days old. The only reason it took that long to get them out there was because I was waiting for more day-old chicks to come in the mail. Come to think of it, those were two days old when they went in the coop... Anyway, I live in MN. Two nights after I put the chicks in the coop, it got down into the 20's and did that for the next two night after that. They were fine. If your coop is draft-free, predator-resistant and has a heat lamp, your chicks will be fine. Show your grandparents respect and appreciation for letting you have them in their house as long as they have, and maybe they'll let you do this again in the future. Argue with them, and that may never happen again.

 

[Desirai]

there's no electricity so they wont have heat. daytime temps are between 70 and 80 and nighttime temps are between 50 and 60


edit: I've been leaving their lamp off during daytime but at night I turn it on, however I turn it on later every day.

 

[LILCHIKBIGCHIK]

Mine are almost 5 weeks old and have been out in there coop and run for over a week and a half with no heat lamp . I live in the Boston area and last night was 29* out. Your grandparents are 110% correct about "when we raised chickens they were born in the barn and stayed in the barn", this babying everything in the world is ludacrous. You live in Alabama one of the hottest and humidest places in the country get them out

there's no electricity so they wont have heat. daytime temps are between 70 and 80 and nighttime temps are between 50 and 60


edit: I've been leaving their lamp off during daytime but at night I turn it on, however I turn it on later every day.

 

[harriedhomemaker]

there's no electricity so they wont have heat. daytime temps are between 70 and 80 and nighttime temps are between 50 and 60


edit: I've been leaving their lamp off during daytime but at night I turn it on, however I turn it on later every day.

I would go ahead and put them out. Sounds just fine to me! My chicks have been out in their coop since two weeks of age, but I do have a heat lamp for them that I turn on at night. Our lows have been in the 30s, but if I had weather like yours, I wouldn't hesitate.

 

[Desirai]

well.. we've kind of come to a compromise. they said as long as I put the chicks outside during the day, they'll let them stay inside during the night til it gets warmer.

So tomorrow will probably be the first day they go outside... oh I'm so scared!!!!!!

 

[dennarahl]

could you run an electrical cord (or a series of them) out to the coop to get electricity to it? I run a cord out to my boys in the coop for their nighttime heat lamp. I pamper my babies, who at 11.5 weeks, are old enough not to have the heat lamp. I figure why should they be cold when they don't have to be?

 

[cluckermomofsix]

Similar couple of questions, as I was thinking about moving my 5 week old girls outside this weekend. I can provide a heat lamp, so I am not worried about them getting too cold. But I am curious about how to introduce them to the coop and run. I read on BYC to close them in the coop for a week or so, so that they become familiar with it. Is that really necessary or can I let them into their run during the day? Also, my coop sits approx. 3 feet off of the ground, above the run area. We have a ladder that will allow them to go back and forth, but how do I get them to use it? (I feel so stupid asking that question, but honestly want to know so my pride is being set aside!)