I got chicks at a time that I'll never get them again. A week before Christmas. I now have 13 hens still inside, and things are getting hairy! It's still VERY cold in NW Ohio, so I don't know if they can deal with being moved out to the unheated garage, even if I put two heat lamps over their area. It will be an area I'm going to have to build with plywood, etc. We've been taking cardboard boxes and taping them together to make larger brooders to date. However, it's nearly impossible to clean and the carpet has been ruined from spilled water. They're starting to get too rowdy, and I know they need more room. If I build a draft free area in the garage, though, will it still be too cold for them? All are (of course) fully feathered. They will go into our shed in the spring which will be fitted into a coop. However, with the horrible winter we've had, we haven't been able to do that yet. I've read about 'transitioning' chicks to the outside, but they're just over 2 months old and I honestly don't know how we'd haul 13 hens in and out every day.
I would think they should be fine in an enclosure in the garage. They will instinctively huddle together for warmth too. Make them a roost or two. My girls survived well with the unusual cold we've had in Ga this winter. My coop is open and in a fenced area and they stayed outside most of the time. I find that chickens are much more resilient than we give them credit for. Good luck!
Yes, your girls are way over due to be moved out. Once they have feathers they can take garage temps with a heat lamp. Mine were moved out by their 3rd week from the spare bedroom to the garage. Only reason they aren't out in the coop yet is because I haven't finished building it!
