Moving chicks outside (low temp)

[Saraschickens]

At 55 these chicks could've been off heat last week and still done fine at night - for point of reference last time I cut chicks off heat the youngest were 34 days old, temps 40F and rainy.

Since you've had them on heat still, it's best to wean them off heat (i.e. taking away the lamp entirely) for a few days first before cutting off the option.

Wow, I feel like my world of chicks has been opened up to a whole new level! But to be fair, my area of knowledge, if any, has been on silkies (which are smaller, more delicate, and "feather" out differently). But I'm starting to see that I can relax on the amount of heat they "need". I always think of all of them as so delicate! This batch is DSL Barnevelders, BC Marans, Tolbunt Polish frizzles, buff Cochins, Porcelain D'uccles, and a couple white Silkies.
I have 21 more chicks that are 1 week old now. What is your opinion (or anyone's opinions) on when they can start staying/sleeping outside? They are mostly D'uccles & Cochins and 3 Silkies.

 

[Saraschickens]

As of last night, they slept outside for their first time! They are right outside my bedroom window (with the window open) so I could hear them all night. The night was projected to be 55°, but only hit 60°.
They had a brooder plate and a heat lamp. They are not used to a red heat lamp all night, normally lights go out at 9:30pm (and inside the house, that light is a 25 watt incandescent). I covered the cage with a couple boards & a shade cloth, to cut the breeze and keep warm in.
At 2:30am I noticed them chirping a lot, not unhappy chirps, but active chirping. When I looked they were having a party and were awake (because of the light I assume). It was 60° outside at that point, which was cooler than they've experienced. So I went out and added a second brooder plate, and covered the cage with a holey tarp, and everyone quieted down and went back to sleep.
This batch of chicks are DSL Barnevelders, BC Marans, Tolbunt Polish frizzles, buff Cochins, Porcelain D'uccles, and a couple white Silkies. The littlest Porcelain D'uccles and Silkies still seem very small and delicate and get very squatty, & head sunken when they get cold. So I was mostly only worried about them.
By 3am the temperature was already rising (up to 62°).
This morning I removed the red heat lamp, and rearranged the 2 brooder plates for tonight so that the light can be off at night. Does that sound right? The plates are off right now, I'll turn them on as the evening/ cold comes.

 

[rosemarythyme]

At 2:30am I noticed them chirping a lot, not unhappy chirps, but active chirping. When I looked they were having a party and were awake (because of the light I assume).

Yes, that's likely because the lights had them awake.

The littlest Porcelain D'uccles and Silkies still seem very small and delicate and get very squatty, & head sunken when they get cold. So I was mostly only worried about them.

If they're good about huddling up with the other chicks at night their combined body heat should be plenty to keep them warmed up.

I have 21 more chicks that are 1 week old now. What is your opinion (or anyone's opinions) on when they can start staying/sleeping outside? They are mostly D'uccles & Cochins and 3 Silkies.

If you plan on continuing with providing heat outside they really can be out now, though I'd probably have them sectioned off from the older chicks for now, unless you have some time to supervise to see how they all get along. At 1 week they should be stable enough to not just get trampled by the older ones but I don't know how energetic your older chicks are or how much space they have to use (the 3x5 would be way too small for both groups of chicks, the 5x10 would be a better bet but they're going to outgrow that super fast as well, as a group).

 

[Saraschickens]

Yes, that's likely because the lights had them awake.


If they're good about huddling up with the other chicks at night their combined body heat should be plenty to keep them warmed up.

If you plan on continuing with providing heat outside they really can be out now, though I'd probably have them sectioned off from the older chicks for now, unless you have some time to supervise to see how they all get along. At 1 week they should be stable enough to not just get trampled by the older ones but I don't know how energetic your older chicks are or how much space they have to use (the 3x5 would be way too small for both groups of chicks, the 5x10 would be a better bet but they're going to outgrow that super fast as well, as a group).

Thank you! That's very helpful information! You're awesome!

 

[whudson]

I never hatch 4 or 5 at a time, so I would do things differently if I did, since they would need more heat.

I never set less than a dozen eggs, and I acclimate them early; Meaning I don't follow the standard guidelines of "95 for a week, reducing 5 degrees a week".

With a dozen or more chicks, they get a heat plate for a week.
They are indoors where the temp is 68-70F. At the end of a week, the heat plate is turned off.

They are still indoors with no wind or fluctuation of temperature.

I have a "grow out" pen that is 8x8 with a small coop inside. As long as the temps stay above 65, they go outside during the day beginning week two, and bring them in at night.
If the temps don't drop below 70F at night, they stay outside at 2 weeks old.

By week 3, as long as outside temps don't drop below 55, they stay outside.

Week 4 means they stay outside as long as temps don't go below freezing.

Week 5 they stay outside regardless of temperature.

About 20 years experience tells me that they don't need nearly as much heat as many claim, and I've never lost a bird to the weather.

 

[kattabelly]

I never hatch 4 or 5 at a time, so I would do things differently if I did, since they would need more heat.

I never set less than a dozen eggs, and I acclimate them early; Meaning I don't follow the standard guidelines of "95 for a week, reducing 5 degrees a week".

With a dozen or more chicks, they get a heat plate for a week.
They are indoors where the temp is 68-70F. At the end of a week, the heat plate is turned off.

They are still indoors with no wind or fluctuation of temperature.

I have a "grow out" pen that is 8x8 with a small coop inside. As long as the temps stay above 65, they go outside during the day beginning week two, and bring them in at night.
If the temps don't drop below 70F at night, they stay outside at 2 weeks old.

By week 3, as long as outside temps don't drop below 55, they stay outside.

Week 4 means they stay outside as long as temps don't go below freezing.

Week 5 they stay outside regardless of temperature.

About 20 years experience tells me that they don't need nearly as much heat as many claim, and I've never lost a bird to the weather.

I do pretty much the same, but starting with short day trips outside at 2 or 3 days old. I use a couple of clear plastic box lids for a windbreak at first, or put them in a small run in the polytunnel if the weather's bad. 70F/21C is pretty extreme heat for my location; 50F to low 60s (10-16C) is more usual this time of year.

I'm keeping some chicks inside for longer at the moment because only a few from that batch hatched - they'll go outside at 5-6 weeks along with the dozen or so chicks due to hatch this weekend, when the younger ones are 2-3 weeks old. By six days old the ones I have now were happily running about outside for most of the day here in temps below 60F, when it wasn't windy or wet. They had a box with some rechargeable handwarmers available outdoors until a bit over a week old, when I stopped bothering because they weren't using it. I'd normally take the brooder heat plate away at 5-7 days but because there's only a few of them I left it in until around day ten.

I think it makes a huge difference for their development and behaviour too. Indoors, even with lots of space and enrichment, by two weeks old they're little monsters. Outside they have zoomies and the occasional squabble but mostly they're just happy to explore and forage.

 

[RoyalChick]

As of last night, they slept outside for their first time! They are right outside my bedroom window (with the window open) so I could hear them all night. The night was projected to be 55°, but only hit 60°.
They had a brooder plate and a heat lamp. They are not used to a red heat lamp all night, normally lights go out at 9:30pm (and inside the house, that light is a 25 watt incandescent). I covered the cage with a couple boards & a shade cloth, to cut the breeze and keep warm in.
At 2:30am I noticed them chirping a lot, not unhappy chirps, but active chirping. When I looked they were having a party and were awake (because of the light I assume). It was 60° outside at that point, which was cooler than they've experienced. So I went out and added a second brooder plate, and covered the cage with a holey tarp, and everyone quieted down and went back to sleep.
This batch of chicks are DSL Barnevelders, BC Marans, Tolbunt Polish frizzles, buff Cochins, Porcelain D'uccles, and a couple white Silkies. The littlest Porcelain D'uccles and Silkies still seem very small and delicate and get very squatty, & head sunken when they get cold. So I was mostly only worried about them.
By 3am the temperature was already rising (up to 62°).
This morning I removed the red heat lamp, and rearranged the 2 brooder plates for tonight so that the light can be off at night. Does that sound right? The plates are off right now, I'll turn them on as the evening/ cold comes.

I have only smaller batches and I use a heat plate not a light.
I keep them inside long enough to be confident they know where the food and water is and know they can go under the heat plate.
I move them outside with the heat plate at a week or so.
Last batch I had to lower the thermostat in my bathroom because it was getting to 72°F and they were all sleeping outside the heat plate sprawled out like they were too hot. I lowered it to 65 and they behaved more normally running under the plate to warm up but spending most of their time partying in the food bowl.
I have no idea where all this 95° guidance came from but as long as they have the plate if they need it and know where it is I think they can decide for themselves.
I keep the plate on all the time (it is very low wattage and so uses very, very little power) so that they can always go there if they feel chilled. I guess I think they make better decisions about temperature than I do and I don’t want them to go under and find it isn’t warm.

 

[Saraschickens]

I love hearing everyone's experiences! Thank you! This is very helpful in my chicken/ chick journey! You're all awesome!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I have no idea where all this 95° guidance came from

I don't either but I consider it a guideline. It is not a law of nature but is something conservative that will usually keep you out of trouble if you follow it. That's similar to 4 square feet of space, 12" of roost length, 1 square feet of ventilation, and many other guidelines on here. Somebody asks a question so somebody comes up with an answer. Over time it gets repeated enough that it becomes considered as a law on this forum. I consider them rules of thumb in that if you follow them you will be pretty safe no matter how bad some of your conditions are. That does not mean you will never have problems, just that you will be a lot less likely to have issues if you follow those rules of thumb.

Having watched broody hens raise chicks and raising them myself in an outdoor brooder with temperatures ranging from below freezing to highs over 110F I consider that 5 degrees a week drop to be extremely conservative. I don't know what those safe minimums are. That will depend on how wind or rain affect you if they are outside, humidity, material the brooder is made from, what bedding is used, or how many chicks you have so they can huddle and keep each other warm.

I take a simpler approach. I keep one area warm enough in the coldest temperatures they are likely to see. I keep one are cool enough. I let them decide where they want to be.

When do I stop providing heat in my brooder that is outside in the unheated coop? If the high is 110 F and the nightly low is in the 90's, newly hatched chicks do not need any heat. The coldest was when the chicks were 5 weeks old and the nighttime low was in the mid 20's F. There were about 20 chicks to keep each other warm and the brooder was in the coop, well protected from wind.