Is two months too young for full-time outside?

[EmilyAA]

My two Rhode Island Red chicks and my Amerucana turned two months. They are all females and they all have full feathers.

I let them out during the day and then bring them inside during the night.
Are they old enough at two months to be outside during the day and night and not come in?
They are all using the roosting bars and hate at night when I take them off and put them in their cage for them to sleep inside at night.
I am worried about deer and other animals bothering them at night. They do have protection. (Fencing and coop)
-Is two months too young for them to become full time outside chicks?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Oh my goodness they are so cute!

When they are fully feathered, unless I am rearing them in wintertime with extreme cold, they can be without heat (should be out of the wind inside coop though= draft-free). Fully feathered status usually occurs about 6 weeks of age.

They should be able to move into the coop full time.

 

[justplainbatty]

My two Rhode Island Red chicks and my Amerucana turned two months. They are all females and they all have full feathers.

I let them out during the day and then bring them inside during the night.
Are they old enough at two months to be outside during the day and night and not come in?
They are all using the roosting bars and hate at night when I take them off and put them in their cage for them to sleep inside at night.
I am worried about deer and other animals bothering them at night. They do have protection. (Fencing and coop)
-Is two months too young for them to become full time outside chicks?

If temps inside the coop are staying at least in the 50* range at night, I would say yes. Welcome to our flock!

 

[EmilyAA]

Thanks! @justplainbatty and @ChickensAreSweet
Should I put something in their coop area where they sleep to make sure they are warm? Maybe like hay or some type of bedding like that....?
Right now the days are warm, but the nights still get cool.

 

[justplainbatty]

Thanks! @justplainbatty and @ChickensAreSweet
Should I put something in their coop area where they sleep to make sure they are warm? Maybe like hay or some type of bedding like that....?
Right now the days are warm, but the nights still get cool.

You said they are roosting in the evening/ All they need now is nest boxes and some bedding on the floor to catch poop! Unless they are laying or brooding, they should not be in the nests.

 

[MamaRudey]

You said they are roosting in the evening/ All they need now is nest boxes and some bedding on the floor to catch poop! Unless they are laying or brooding, they should not be in the nests.

I would personally wait on putting nest boxes in until they are closer to laying age. If you already have them in the coop I would block them from use. It's a bad habit for them to learn to sleep in the boxes. No one wants poop covered eggs.

 

[donrae]

2 months is well old enough to be outside full time.