is it to early to put 9 day olds out in 10x12 gambrel shed coop

[blueseal]

i live in maine. i was thinking about putting them out with a light . in a couple more weeks they will be three weeks old. but its probably still to cold we had low 30s the other night. some nights are 40s or 30s .

 

[Malibufarmer]

yes, it is way to early for that in your climate. I would wait at least till they are fully featherd whci is around 6 weeks. then you also should put a heat lamp with them.

 

[LovinMyPeeps]

Make sure there are no drafts (not to be confused with ventilation) and there is plenty of warmth from a decent lighting system. My RIR chicks are outside in a barn in the middle of vermont (we've had snow the past few days) and they are thriving!

 

[morelcabin]

Mine have been out since day olds, yup even here in Canada. They have a 3x3 pen in the coop and a heat lamp. Doing wonderfully even with below freezing temps and snowstorms

 

[Judy]

It's about whether you can maintain the temps they need, not whether they are inside or outside. If they are a week old they need about 90 degrees. You didn't give many details, number of chicks, size/construction of coop, etc., so it's hard to guess how you could do it. Many people raise chicks in coops or other outbuildings, even farther north than you are. You don't have to heat a building to 90, but a thermometer under a heat lamp or whatever you use should read 90.

 

[morelcabin]

It really doesn't have to be that scientific:>) I don't have a thremometer, I simply have them in a 10 x 10 shed, not insulated, with the gables ends opened up wide on both ends for ventelation. I have a 3x3 pen made for them, and a 175W heat lamp 18" from the shavings. I've done it this way for years, in April, with chicks numbering 3 to 40 depending on the year. Never once lost a chick to sickness. No kidding. I did lose a few to my dog last year because I forgot to close the coop door.
Everyone here that I know does it that way...no science involved. Never heard any of this thermometer and stuff until I started posting here:>) My chicks are most often light free by four weeks. My two silkies are almost two weeks old now and already venturing outside the "lighted/heated" area for small amounts of time. Next week I will be adding more chicks depending on the hatch...one thing I am NOT good at so much are incubators:>)

 

[Brickman House]

I put our last batch of chicks out in their coop at 10 days old in February, with temps around yours.

You just have to be sure you have a reliable source of heat that they can move under and away from-- once you've got that, they should be fine indoors or out.

 

[morelcabin]

Quote:
exactly

 

[Judy]

Quote:
exactly

Actually, I don't have a thermometer, either. Mine would have been out around 7 days if my new coop had been ready, and it was below freezing at night then. Just thought the OP sounded like he needed a little more specific guidance, esp. with so little information.

I had already planned to do what morelcabin does next year, if I have to order chicks again -- I'm hoping I can get enough chickens with broodies, though.

 

[blueseal]

my coop is 10x 12 gambrel style roof. framed with 2x4s. and 2x10 flooring. and i have t 1 11 siding 2 square gable vents at north and south eaves and its 10 ft from the roof pitch to the floor if this helps . i was thinking of sectioning off a corner of the coop for my 17 chicks and i could put a 100 watt light on them there a week old right now.