Moving chicks to coop in chilly weather

NewsmallflockCT

In the Brooder
Oct 26, 2022
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Hi all!

I'm new to chicken keeping and looking for some reassurance about moving my girls to their new coop in cool weather.

I'm in Connecticut and have 6 chicks who are just shy of 6 weeks old, all cold hardy breeds. They are currently in my basement with an eco glow heater raised up to almost max height. The ambient temp in the basement usually stays around 60°, and I don't see them spending a lot of time under the heater, but they do use it some.

I'd like to move them into their coop next week, but it looks like low temps will be around 45° overnight with highs around 65°. Is this too big an adjustment? Should I move them to my garage for a week first, where it likely drops a little colder at night? I could also put the eco glow in the coop for a week if that would help. I'm worried that the longer I wait to move them, the colder it will be getting at night, and I really don't want basement chickens all winter! Any advice is appreciated!
 
Hi all!

I'm new to chicken keeping and looking for some reassurance about moving my girls to their new coop in cool weather.

I'm in Connecticut and have 6 chicks who are just shy of 6 weeks old, all cold hardy breeds. They are currently in my basement with an eco glow heater raised up to almost max height. The ambient temp in the basement usually stays around 60°, and I don't see them spending a lot of time under the heater, but they do use it some.

I'd like to move them into their coop next week, but it looks like low temps will be around 45° overnight with highs around 65°. Is this too big an adjustment? Should I move them to my garage for a week first, where it likely drops a little colder at night? I could also put the eco glow in the coop for a week if that would help. I'm worried that the longer I wait to move them, the colder it will be getting at night, and I really don't want basement chickens all winter! Any advice is appreciated!
I move mine out around that temperature range. I just put a thick layer of straw in their small coop. They'll acclimate fine while the temperature drops during the weeks.
 
I'm in Connecticut and have 6 chicks who are just shy of 6 weeks old, ..............
I'd like to move them into their coop next week, but it looks like low temps will be around 45° overnight with highs around 65°. Is this too big an adjustment?
I've had chicks 5-1/2 weeks old go through nights in the mid 20's Fahrenheit with no supplemental heat. The coop they were in had great breeze protection down where they were and great ventilation up high. Yours could easily handle those temperatures now. They would survive, provided the coop gave breeze protection and good ventilation. You are not going to kill them or injure them if you move them out now, let alone if you give them another week.

Acclimation does help. They are getting that in your basement, at least to a certain point. That heat plate is not heating the entire brooder up and they are spending a lot of time not using it. Not sure where they are sleeping, probably not under that heat plate.

If you want to move them to the garage where it is a bit colder you can do that, with or without the heat plate. I don't know how much colder it might be but they can handle it. If you want to move them out to the coop during the day you can do that. It might help your confidence if you can see them in colder temperatures.

Just because they can handle colder temperatures doesn't mean they have to. Some chickens go through their entire life without seeing temperatures below freezing. But I'd want yours out there before too long so they can get used to the temperatures as it cools off. They will be able to survive whatever Connecticut throws at them this winter as long as the coop is halfway decent, but they might be a bit more comfortable if they get used to the cold before you throw it at them. If you find you need to make changes to the coop by them being out there, I'd rather do that in better weather.
 
They should be fine to be moved out at this point, but no harm in putting the brooding plate out for a week.

As a point of reference I have 4 week olds off heat in mid 40Fs, but I brood outdoors so they harden to it naturally.

Same here.

But if you're more comfortable putting their brooder plate into the coop with them for a week or so there's no harm to it. :)
 

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