Moving chicks outside?

[roedeljim]

I have 3 white leghorn chicks. They all will be 4 weeks old inn monday. They have most of their feathers in. I'm hoping to get them out of my house next Wednesday and leaving them inside the coop for about 4 days then allowing them full acces in their coop and run. Is it okay to do so? I live in denver colorado.

 

[BYCforlife]

Hello,



What is your temperature outside? If it is too cold, you shouldn't put your chicks outside.

 

[roedeljim]

Next week I think it's like a high of 60 and a low of 40

 

[roedeljim]

I have electricity though and can run a heat lamp

 

[BYCforlife]

Then it should be ok, as long as predators are not a problem ?

 

[JackNH]

Depending on temperature, they should be fine with lots of straw that they can snuggle into. They are old enough to huddle up when chilled and have no problems. I am waiting until 6 weeks of age and i'm in NH near the coast.. just to be safe

 

[blackdog043]

Are they still using a heat source? If they are you should start weening them off before you put them outside. You might want to put a huddle box in the coop for them also. You shouldn't need a heat lamp.

 

[mistycolleen]

im getting to this point as well. mine are almost fully feathered but i do plan on waiting another week or two. now my question is, when you do at first put them out in their coop are you letting them have free range of the whole coop or do you partition off a smaller area for them to adjust? this is our first batch and will be the first introduced. there are only 6 almost ready to head out there but will the adjustment from small brooder to large foreign coop be too stressful? especially without a light all night? our light is high enough right now i dont think its supplying them with any thing other than a light source. just thought i would ask, hope im not overthinking

 

[blackdog043]

There is no reason to partition an area off. They will be happy to have room, to really move around. If your light is not supplying heat to them, maybe you could turn it off at night, to get them used to night time. That's why I liked the MHP so much. I had them in my garage and they got used to day and night from day one.