Moving my chicks from indoors to outdoors

[Silverroses]

Hi all, my family became first time chicken owners after my son decided to ask for chicks on his birthday. Unfortunately our weather was crazy it would randomly snow so we've kept them inside until today they're about 6 weeks old now, we've moved them to our garage but we have no door will they be okay the weather is way better now we left their lamp on just super worried also should I be worried about having them inside our home we didn't care much since we just wanted them to live.

 

[Debbie292d]

Where are you, or like what are the nighttime temps?

When most chicks are 6 weeks old, they are fully feathered and don't need heat but yet if you're where it gets like freezing at night, they'd need a radiant heater or something.

They could be outside during the day too provided you're not in Antarctica.

 

[Silverroses]

We live in utah our temps have been so crazy, at the moment we're at 60° we left their lamp on hoping they don't get too cold my husband says they're 6 weeks but I'm starting to wonder if they're actually 4 weeks so I'm very worried now.

 

[Meg22]

We live in utah our temps have been so crazy, at the moment we're at 60° we left their lamp on hoping they don't get too cold my husband says they're 6 weeks but I'm starting to wonder if they're actually 4 weeks so I'm very worried now.

If you post a photo people will be able to see how well feathered they are and give better advice. Do they have a draft free coop to move into? You could try putting a wool hen in the coop for them to huddle in at night. I had chicks in the coop at 2 weeks old that way but admittedly was during British summer.

 

[Meg22]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...possibly-no-supplemental-heat-at-all.1126460/

 

[BDutch]

Healthy 6 week old chicks are always feathered.

How many chicks do you have?
If you have like 6 chicks and the temps outside are okay they can go outside in a coop/run without extra warmth.
If it’s cold you need to add a heat source for the chicks.

If the chicks start to peep loudly , its probably too cold for them. A chick that’s comfortable doesn’t peep loudly.

It’s good for their health to live outside and get some sun.

 

[Ridgerunner]

We live in utah our temps have been so crazy, at the moment we're at 60° we left their lamp on hoping they don't get too cold my husband says they're 6 weeks but I'm starting to wonder if they're actually 4 weeks so I'm very worried now.

Hopefully you take that as laughing with you, not at you. I totally understand on getting confused as to exactly how long it has been for some things.

The critical temperature is your lows, not daily highs. A four-week-old chick should be able to handle 60 F as long as it is out of a direct wind.

Just because they can handle those temperatures does not mean you hurt them by providing heat. They may not use it if they don't need it. They need enough room to be able to move away from the heat if it gets too warm. I've had chicks straight from my incubator in a brooder in the coop with a heat lamp where one area was warm enough but I had ice on the far end of that 3' x 6' brooder. The baby chicks knew enough to stay in the warm area.

The other caveat is to be safe in providing heat. Make sure you are not in danger of starting a fire. Secure a heat lamp with wire or chain so it cannot fall. Do not depend on the clamp that comes with it and do not use something that can burn or melt.

If the chicks get cold they should huddle together and will probably give a plaintive peep. It is such a sad lonely peep that you know something is wrong. But don't confuse this with them not liking change. Sometimes if they have never been in the dark turning off the light will upset them. They have never been in the dark so it is a change. Mine might peep for 15 minutes the first time the light is turned off. The second time they might peep for five minutes. After that it is a normal change so nothing to peep about. These are the extreme cases. Often they don't peep at all.