Moving 4 week old chicks to chicken coop???

[berriesncream]

My Amerucana pullets are about 4 weeks old today. Getting too big for their brooder, and DH has just finished the chicken coop (whoo-hoo!). I would like to move them out there today. The temps here are in the 70's during the day and the low tonight is supposed to be 47. The coop is a nice, sturdy building, not drafty at all, but I'm sure not as warm as the brick garage they're in now. Was planning on putting the brooder lamp in there hanging from the ceiling. Is this a good idea? Here's a pic of one of them a few days ago. They are big and have lots of feathers.

 

[lilblessings5]

I would hang a heat lamp for them...especially if they have been under it all this time. You could maybe turn it on in the evening and off during they day when the temperture gets warmer. It won't be such a shock to them that way. If they don't want the heat they won't lay under it - but its there if they need it.

 

[Humhill]

I just put my 4 week olds in the coop Wednesday night. Temps here are about the same, maybe a llittle lower. We made a 4' X 4' "box" out of one of the corners and a couple tall pieces of wood and gave them their heat lamp. They've been doing great. We put the heat lamp in one of the corners so they can huddle under it, but still have plenty of room to get away.

 

[Doll Maker]

Hi, I think you will be fine, just hang a heat bulb for them if they get cold they'll go to it. Here's a pic of ours in their brooder (we put them out Tuesday for the same reason, 4 weeks old and to big for their inside brooder):

It got down to 29 last night and I was scared to death when I got up, but DH went down and said they were milling around and managed just fine. We have a heat light in one corner of the closed end of our brooder where the bedding is and more than half of them were running around on the open end having a good time!! No one was sitting under the light.

 

[donnavee]

We moved ours out las year at 4 wks and like yours they were nicely feathered - of course, it was the beginning of May in NC so the temps were pretty mild. We did start turning off the heat lamp for short periods while they were still inside and eventually accustomed them to no heat before moving them out. They should be fine, but you may want to try using a little heat at night if the temps are still dipping pretty low. We had one of those crazy nights where the temps dipped to the high 30's in May after they moved outside and I worried all night that I would find dead, frozen chicks in the morning. They were fine and I'm sure slept much better than I did. Those feathers do keep them pretty warm.

 

[Hunny]

Can I giggle that you took a pic of your chick on the cutting board?

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I'm considering putting my girls (and whoever may be a roo, ill include them now) outside soon as well. They are 6 weeks, and its slightly colder here.
I figure as long as their is no draft and they have the heat lamp till after the last frost date, they should be okay