Moving chicks/Pullets outdoors

[GerardJames]

Hi, I just finished building my coop and my girls are going on their 5th week. We are entering summer and the weather promises to be warm with night time lows above 60F. Is is a good time to think about moving them into their coop or should I wait for another couple of weeks, giving them short visits to the run?
thanks!

 

[FuzzyCritters]

If you chicks have most of their feathers, they can go outside. The weather sounds nice for moving them outside, so if they have their feathers I would move them out to their coop.

 

[CindyinSD]

I just moved around 35 chicks, some mostly feathered, most still in fluff with only wing feathers getting started. They're in a mini-tractor (portable coop) getting acquainted with some of the adults, some juveniles, and a bunch of crazy ducklings. This is their third day out. Today is hot, but most of the time we've been rainy and cool. The tractor has corrugated milky plastic on the roof and around one end to give them a three-sided area and a more open but roofed play area-so really, enough, but not all that much weather protection. They are so much more content. Instead of tweeting and eating constantly, they're running around pecking and scratching and getting to know the olders.

The juveniles were put out in the unheated greenhouse (freezing temps) at around the same age, in the same shelter but inside the unheated greenhouse with the hens, who spent the (often sub-zero) winter there. Chickens are a LOT tougher than most of us think.

 

[Mrs. K]

It is more than warm enough for 5 week old chicks. People tend to worry that chicks will get too cold, but what is of more concern, is that they will get too hot. Check the position of the shade at 10, 12, 2 and especially 4:00 which tends to be close to the hottest part of the day.

I get mine out within 3 weeks. Mine do have a bit of protection in the run, have good shade through out the day.

 

[AA Maple]

My rule is when they can fly out of the brooder they're ready for outside.

 

[cluckmecoop7]

My rule is when they can fly out of the brooder they're ready for outside.

Mine flew out at 2 weeks.

 

[aart]

Hi, I just finished building my coop and my girls are going on their 5th week. We are entering summer and the weather promises to be warm with night time lows above 60F. Is is a good time to think about moving them into their coop or should I wait for another couple of weeks, giving them short visits to the run?
thanks!

Welcome to BYC! @GerardJames
They should be ready to go out.
Hopefully you have already weaned them off the heater.

 

[AA Maple]

Mine flew out at 2 weeks.

Wow, either you have some rowdy birds or your walls aren't very high in the brooder. It's 3-4 weeks for layers for me.