Moving from brooder to coop?

[Dramaqueen21888]

We have 5/6 week old chicks. They have been inside the brooder without heat in our living room with the windows open and don't seem cold at all. The temps can get down to 54 at night and they are half feathered. Is that too young to put them out? They are creating dust everywhere lol.

 

[Blooie]

I put mine outside last year at 5.5 weeks. Had to or choke to death on the dust. I had 22 of them and they were creating a huge mess. First two nights they had supplemental heat via a heat lamp. After all, the temp inside the coop was 20 degrees and they were just babies. Every time I checked on them they were sleeping in puddle by the pop door - not even near the heat lamp. So I took it out. No point risking a fire if they weren't even going to use it. That was on April 1st. We continued getting snow until June 6th.

This year I brooded mine outside in the run from the start - the run, not the coop - and it worked way better than I even hoped. They were all strong, healthy, and active. I use a heating pad and a cave rather than a heat lamp. Temps were in the teens and twenties, yet they spent most of their time running around in their pen, exploring and growing just as they would have under a broody hen. I'll never brood chicks indoors again! I've now raised 3 groups of chicks this way.

Chicks do need a lot of care, but they aren't the delicate little divas we sometimes try to make them out to be. Broody hens raise chicks in the cold just fine and they don't need any help from us to keep them warm. Chicks scoot under for a quick warm-up and then they're back out running around learning to be chickens.

Yours should be fine!

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I move mine out at 5-6 weeks of age to unheated coops. At the point of their move they have been weaned from the supplemental heat for a week. Last year the group that moved out was out for three days and we were hit by a major cold snap with subfreezing temps and snow - they were happy as little clams in their coop.

 

[Puddin Fluff]

Welcome to BYC first of all.

Will they be by themselves in the coop or do you have older birds?

I have 5 week olds out with mama in the coop and they are mostly feathered. They are also too big for mama to fully cover anymore. Our temps have been about that at night.

They would probably pile together and be fine.

Maybe you will get some other opinions as well. Personally I would probably run a heat lamp for them just to be sure, but I can be a bit overboard sometimes.

 

[Mississippi99]

Chicks are usually put outside round 8 weeks. What are you using for bedding? I use wood shavings for my chicks so there is no dust and is easyer to clean.

 

[Dramaqueen21888]

They are my first set of chicks so no other bird already outside. I have been using hay cause it's super cheap by me. I have been changing it every other day cause it starts to smell. But I also think they are just getting to big for the box they are in. I think I'm gonna try this weekend and see how they do.

 

[Mississippi99]

This is what mine are in and the shavings they have. I find this way easier for me because less mess, less smell, easier clean up! I buy the shavings at Walmart in the pet section. Cheap and easy. But it's really what ever floats your boat. .

 

[bufforpington42]

i put mine out when they were 3/4 weeks old, nights were around 40 degrees. They should be fine! They cuddled together at night.

 

[LovinAK]

I put mine outside last year at 5.5 weeks. Had to or choke to death on the dust. I had 22 of them and they were creating a huge mess. First two nights they had supplemental heat via a heat lamp. After all, the temp inside the coop was 20 degrees and they were just babies. Every time I checked on them they were sleeping in puddle by the pop door - not even near the heat lamp. So I took it out. No point risking a fire if they weren't even going to use it. That was on April 1st. We continued getting snow until June 6th.

This year I brooded mine outside in the run from the start - the run, not the coop - and it worked way better than I even hoped. They were all strong, healthy, and active. I use a heating pad and a cave rather than a heat lamp. Temps were in the teens and twenties, yet they spent most of their time running around in their pen, exploring and growing just as they would have under a broody hen. I'll never brood chicks indoors again! I've now raised 3 groups of chicks this way.

Chicks do need a lot of care, but they aren't the delicate little divas we sometimes try to make them out to be. Broody hens raise chicks in the cold just fine and they don't need any help from us to keep them warm. Chicks scoot under for a quick warm-up and then they're back out running around learning to be chickens.

Yours should be fine!

Thank you for this, Blooie, I am new to raising chicks and had to giggle when you mentioned choking on the dust. My husband and I built a large brooder that currently takes up half of our garage and our 21 "girls" just turned 6 weeks on Friday. I am using straw with Diatomaceous Earth to help dry up the poop faster and help keep the large brooder dry without having to change out litter so often. At the time I sprinkled the DE over the straw I thought I was using it sparingly...everything in our garage is COVERED with this stuff! We are afraid to move anything for fear of creating a dust storm. Anyway, I've been doing some research through different forums on BYC and I think it's time to move the girls out to the barn. Just last night we had our first escapee. Looks like we will get our garage back here in he next few days. Thanks again!

 

[Blooie]

Believe me, that dust would be an issue even without the DE. I used just pine shavings in my indoor brooder last year and it made just as much of a mess. The brooder was in Kens office. Trycleanungtgat dust out of a computer! Nevah again!

My chicks have never seen a heat lamp - wouldn't know what it is. The Tinys, now 5 weeks old, have been without heat for over a week with temps in the low 30s. So I'm glad you're getting your garage back. If you're like us, you'll still be finding hidden dust a year later!