Okay, I've been searching and searching, here and on Google, and haven't found any answers to exactly how you move chicks outside besides mention of putting heat lamps out with them if it's cold.
Our coop should finally be done this week. I'm hoping to have it painted Tues or Wed and then give it a few days to air and move the chicks in over next weekend. Two of the chicks are eleven weeks old (I know, it's about time!), five are seven weeks old, and two are about four or five weeks old but I think they're fully feathered. I've been putting them all outside during the day and they do just fine, even the younger two. The day time temperatures are generally between 50 and 70. I don't have them under heat inside at all, but the room temperature in the room they're in is around 73 or so because we have day olds in this room too. Over night outside it gets down to below 40 still many nights. Are they going to be okay if we just stick them outside in the coop one day and leave them out there? I might be able to put a heat light out, but is it necessary? I was thinking maybe I should just move the older two out until it's a bit warmer overnight, but wouldn't they be warmer if there were more of them? I could keep the younger two inside though for a little longer.
I was thinking I could put them in the basement from now until the coop is done, it's insulated but not as heated so will be colder than here but not as cold as outside. It would be a pain to move the brooder down there so I'd sort of rather not, but if it would be easier on the chickens it's doable. There are also mice down there, not sure if that's a problem?
ETA: My husband reminded me that the door on our basement is not a standard size, and it's very possible that the rabbit hutch they live in right now won't fit through the door down there. So that may not even be an option unless we completely rethought what we're brooding them in.
Our coop should finally be done this week. I'm hoping to have it painted Tues or Wed and then give it a few days to air and move the chicks in over next weekend. Two of the chicks are eleven weeks old (I know, it's about time!), five are seven weeks old, and two are about four or five weeks old but I think they're fully feathered. I've been putting them all outside during the day and they do just fine, even the younger two. The day time temperatures are generally between 50 and 70. I don't have them under heat inside at all, but the room temperature in the room they're in is around 73 or so because we have day olds in this room too. Over night outside it gets down to below 40 still many nights. Are they going to be okay if we just stick them outside in the coop one day and leave them out there? I might be able to put a heat light out, but is it necessary? I was thinking maybe I should just move the older two out until it's a bit warmer overnight, but wouldn't they be warmer if there were more of them? I could keep the younger two inside though for a little longer.
I was thinking I could put them in the basement from now until the coop is done, it's insulated but not as heated so will be colder than here but not as cold as outside. It would be a pain to move the brooder down there so I'd sort of rather not, but if it would be easier on the chickens it's doable. There are also mice down there, not sure if that's a problem?
ETA: My husband reminded me that the door on our basement is not a standard size, and it's very possible that the rabbit hutch they live in right now won't fit through the door down there. So that may not even be an option unless we completely rethought what we're brooding them in.
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