Moving Outside - I know it's been asked before but...

[calamtykel]

I'm finding threads of people moving their Cornish outdoors at 3-5 weeks, but since we're all from different climates and seasons matter too, I was wondering for now, September in Northern NJ - temps at night in the 50's-60's and daytime temps 70's to 80's.
They will be 4 weeks old this Thursday.
too early to go out?
The problem is that I don't have an electrical hookup for the coop, but they'll be in a separate coop area under a truck cap, which actually may be warmer than the coop that my layers are in,.
Right now they're in the garage in two brooders - during the day we're loading them into a rubbermaid tub and carrying them out on the grass in a makeshift pen of low fence with a tarp over half of it for shade. They seem to enjoy being out and are learning to scratch and forage a bit since I move the pen each day. It's far easier for me to do this than to manage them in the brooder which is getting crowded and they seem to be making a huge mess of their food and water (with the shavings) in the brooder.

I'm afraid if I move them out too soon, they'll stop growing as someone on here had happen. but I don't want to hold them another couple of weeks of it's not necessary...

Just not sure since they do seem to have a lot of feathers but there's still skin that can be seen also. Is that okay as far as being outside? If night temps get cold in the next two weeks, will they be okay?

 

[Kildare49]

Mine are 4 weeks old. They were moved outside at 2 weeks of age. Because of predator issues, they go back in the coop every night. Has been a non stop battle to get them in.

I sure have not noticed any growth problems. Central Wisconsin area.
It has been in the 50's a couple morning...and they still run me over getting out of the coop for the day.

 

[SIMZ]

Funny -- I think I look this up every time we get ready to move our meaties outside! We just put ours out today at 2 weeks, but it's in the mid to upper 80's. They'll also have heat lamps in their shelters at night in case they need them. I'll also put hay in on colder nights.

I think yours will be just fine at 4 weeks. If it makes you feel better you can also throw some straw out there on cold nights, but I've always stopped worrying about mine being cold around 3 1/2 weeks.

 

[calamtykel]

thanks! I'll probably move them outside then this week unless they are talking about a huge drop in the temps. The brooder is disgusting...and I'm cleaning it every other day.

I was afraid that since it takes them longer to feather out that you have to be careful.
However, after having seen my broody hens taking out their new babies in all kinds of weather, I stopped worrying about exact brooder temps.

I'm hoping also since the truck cap is black and extremely solid, that maybe it would hold in some heat as well.

 

[SIMZ]

I was the same way with chicks until we also a broody raise some. It was immediately obvious that she hadn't read up on proper chick care and not letting the temperature drop under 95 in the first week! LOL