I've hatched my chicken eggs two weeks and three days ago from an incubator, I've had them in a brooder in the meantime. I was wondering if it was okay to put the chicks outside in a cage with a heat lamp for full time now? It's really windy where I live, and sometimes cold. Is this okay? Or should I keep them inside for a bit longer?
Chhicks when hatched should be kept at 95 degrees then decreased 5 degrees each week until they reach 70 degrees. After that your good to go. If you can maintain those temps outside then yes, go ahead and move them
If you live somewhere cold and windy, I would recommend you keep them inside. Drafts can kill them, as can the cold temperatures preventing the brooder from getting warm enough for them. Unless the brooder is made to effectively block all drafts, and can hold the right temperature no matter how low the temperature drops, you shouldn't put them outside.
X2, provided you have a good, draft free coop and they can stay warm enough. At less then 3 weeks old they still need to be able to get under a heat lamp that will allow them to warm up to about 85 degrees.
