Little nervous about moving my two week old babies outside.

[bucky52]

I plan on moving my two week old chicks.Well I have had them two weeks.so they were days old when I bought them. out of the house.they are stinking up the house no matter how often I clean out the brooder.I have a area in my roofed run.and will be moving the brooder and heat lamp with them.I raised a batch of chicks 4 years ago in a out building and they all did real good.Our day time temps are hovering around 88 to 91 degrees during the day.we have been having some cool nights.But that's about to change.
they are

 

[azygous]

My chicks are less than one week old and they've been out in the run with just a heating pad "cave" to warm up in. It was in the high 30s last night and around 50 right now. They've been racing around having a grand time with all their freedom. I pity poor chicks confined to a brooder. So, chicks can handle some very cool temps as long as they have a good spot to warm themselves back up.

People misunderstand chicks' heat requirements. They do NOT need a constant warm temperature! Move those little buggers out to their coop NOW! Reclaim the house!

 

[Blooie]

Like my good friend azygous, I brood my chicks outdoors with Mama Heating Pad and a cave. Requires nothing but a wire frame, a heating pad, and a towel. Mine aren't brooded in the coop, they are out in the open run. Easy, peasy! I took the older chicks (at 4 weeks old) off any heat source at all to make room for the new chicks in the brooder. They are now 10 and 11 weeks old and thriving. Our temps were in the 50s and 60s during the day and into the teens and twenties at night. The newest batch of chicks will be 5 weeks old on Monday, and they have also been without heat since they were 4 weeks old. Your temps are a lot more inviting than ours, so I'd say go for it! Get them outside and get your house back. I will nevah, EVAH raise chicks in my house again.

 

[bucky52]

ok that makes me feel better.

 

[GentleFarmer]

I just posted my experience with moving our chicks outside. I think some of these guidlines - like two days locked in the coop, heat requirements, etc. - are good but they are only guidlines and not rules cast in stone. My chicken went outside without a heat source at 4 1/2 weeks and seem to be very pleased about the move. Enjoy your chicken....and your reclaimed house

 

[My1stChickens]

I moved mine out today. They were in the house for 22 days, and it was getting real old. I moved mine into a tractor/coop which will be in the garage except for when it's pretty weather, and I push it out onto the grass. Tonight is their first night, and they are locked in the coop. They are tired from their first time outside today-- and are hunkered down and quiet. It will get down to 68 tonight, but just to be sure I've got a lamp on them through the ventilation window. Seems odd not to hear them cheep cheeping in the other room, but it will be nice to reclaim the house and get rid of the amazing amount of dust that has coated everything. Having them secured in the garage should be a good interim step. I hope. I don't know what I'm doing, these are my first chicks.

 

[azygous]

If you've been getting to know your chicks, what keeps them content and what upsets them, then as long as you listen to your instincts, you'll be just fine and so will your chicks.

How many chicks do you have? What are the measurements of your tractor play space?

 

[Blooie]

I moved mine out today. They were in the house for 22 days, and it was getting real old. I moved mine into a tractor/coop which will be in the garage except for when it's pretty weather, and I push it out onto the grass. Tonight is their first night, and they are locked in the coop. They are tired from their first time outside today-- and are hunkered down and quiet. It will get down to 68 tonight, but just to be sure I've got a lamp on them through the ventilation window. Seems odd not to hear them cheep cheeping in the other room, but it will be nice to reclaim the house and get rid of the amazing amount of dust that has coated everything. Having them secured in the garage should be a good interim step. I hope. I don't know what I'm doing, these are my first chicks.

I had to chuckle. My chicks wouldn't know what to do with themselves during a 68 degree night. They've been out there while it was in the teens and 20s with no lamp.

 

[MountainOrchard]

Definitely move them out. At those temps they will be just fine, and much happier with more space!

 

[kristaschics15]

Mine are getting moved out this week (they are 6.5 weeks old

)! They have been in the brooder on my back porch and I know they will be thrilled to have more space!! Just gotta get the coop finished.