Moving chicks into their coup

mccluskey85

In the Brooder
Mar 20, 2018
22
49
49
Cumberland County, North Carolina
Our 4 chicks will be 4wks old THIS weekend. We have our coup set up and ready and it's completely covered. At the rate they're growing, they will outgrow the brooder they're in now before they're 6wks of age. What's the earliest I can move them into the coup? Can I move them within the next week or do I need to find something larger to put them in until they're 6wks of age?
 
I have two Red Rangers and two Barred Rock. They're mostly feathered, they still have fuzz on their heads. Temps have been between 50-60s during the day and high 30-40s at night.

They'd probably be fine during the day, but I would add a bit of additional heat for a few weeks until it warms up a bit at night :)
 
Have you weaned them off of heat? I moved mine out at 5 weeks, no heat, lows in 40's, they did fine. Give them a 'huddle box' if you're concerned.

We've been turning their heat lamp off for a few hours during the day. Our brooder is set up in our garage right now, they're just growing too fast to stay in it for another two weeks.
 
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Wean them off the heat, it will help the feathers come on in. Do they roost to sleep yet? If they don't roost yet, you can put a huddle box in for them.

Mine are pushing 5 wks old, feathered out. I weaned them from heat in week 3, put them in the coop in a large wire dogcrate at week 4. Since we have been getting some upper 20's with a wet mix, I've just put an old dogbed fleece over them. They probably don't need it, but hey, what's a chickie mom gonna do?
 
Wean them off the heat, it will help the feathers come on in. Do they roost to sleep yet? If they don't roost yet, you can put a huddle box in for them.

Mine are pushing 5 wks old, feathered out. I weaned them from heat in week 3, put them in the coop in a large wire dogcrate at week 4. Since we have been getting some upper 20's with a wet mix, I've just put an old dogbed fleece over them. They probably don't need it, but hey, what's a chickie mom gonna do?

No, they do not roost yet. I'll start keeping the heat lamp off longer. They're mostly feathered only heir heads are still fuzzy. I'm a first time chick mom, so I'm still learning. Lol
 
I've done flocks in the past, am now rebuilding. Keeping them dry and out of drafts is the biggest thing. They have a nice down coat to hold in those temps. And a chicken's temp runs about 104. Just look in on them occassionally, if they are all huddled in a pile they may be cool. If they look like the normal sleeping pile, they should be ok.
 
By week 5 my chicks are soooo noisy, smelly and need more space so they are off heat week 3 in the daytime ..week 4 all the time and out in the daytime ..week 5 out in a covered coop and run fulltime...never had a problem with this system..
( I’m in England )
It’s always tough seeing your little fluff balls outside but they’re hardy little things ..and if they were with their hen Mum they’d be out fulltime from day1!
 

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