Moving them out in Upstate NY

[sariea]

I've read a bunch of the other posts about moving chicks outside and I just want to make sure I'm not forgetting anything important, since these are our first baby chicks. They're currently 4.5-5 weeks old, and we're in Rochester NY. My husband wants them out of the house because of the amount of dust his office is accumulating and they're getting a little big for the brooder. Pic of our coop is below (this was 4 years ago before our first batch of chickens "broke it in")

The next 10 days forecast is going to see highs 44-64 and lows of 34-50. We do have wind panels that we put up for the colder months, so they're still up now. We have to clean out the coop and wanted to know if there are any best practices for that. We'll have to dig out quite a bit from the run, but is there anything specific we should do to make sure our chicks remain healthy?

I wanted to wait and put at least a full yard's worth of cut grass in there but that doesn't look like it'll happen, so I think it'll just be pine shavings. My FIL said we should spray everything down with bleach and let it sit for a couple days, but he doesn't have chickens or really any reason to know if that's the correct thing to do.

From reading other posts, I'm assuming they'll be ok outside in these temperatures, but I will also put their heat plate out there with them. Should I put it in the coop or the run?

Any other advice would be great. Thank you!!

 

[NNYchick]

I live in Northern NY. I currently have 4 week old chicks out in my coop with there Mama heating pad for the last 2 weeks, they are doing great. I just have to bring the water in at night if its going down below freezing so it doesn't freeze them bring it back out in the morning. I don't have an answer about whether to let then in the run area or not as my I don't have a ramp and my run is not as open to the elements. I would keep them in the coop area for a few days so they know where the food and heat is, then open the ramp up and watch them closely that they are going up the ramp and back to heat as needed and make sure everyone makes it back to the heat in the evening for the night.

 

[Alaskan]

To clean out the coop...

Scrape everything out, scrub everything well, yes use bleach on the final spray.

As soon as you can no longer smell the bleach, it is ready for bedding and chicks.

I would lock the chicks up in only the coop part for at least 3 days, maybe a week or more (how many chicks, how big is that coop?)

Before the chicks get access to the run, yes clean it all out and you could then refill with mulch type stuff.

Do watch them CLOSELY, or sit there with them and take the time to teach them to go up and down the ramp... or they might get stuck in the run and freeze.

Chicks can be slow.

 

[Sandy80]

I live in upstate NY outside of Saratoga Sprgs. My girls were about 5-6 weeks old when they spent their 1st night outside in their coop late May/ early June (they're approaching their 3rd b-day). We had to help them come down their ladder the 1st couple times from the coop to their outside run but they got the hang of it quickly. It was funny to watch. I'll never forget watching them all go up the ladder to go roost when it started to get dark - that amazed me (still does) they know when it's time for bed . All the best with your babies - such a fun time!

 

[Stormie80]

I'm down by the Corning area and was wondering the same thing myself. How are your chicks doing, did you get them out there yet? What kind of heater are you using? I like your coop!

Three of my girls are 10 weeks and the other two are 8 weeks. I have put them out in the coop the last few days we have had nice weather, then I am bringing them back in the house at night. Today I noticed that they mostly stayed in the coop even though it was mostly all sunny today. I am thinking our crazy wind was too much for them.

 

[sariea]

I'm down by the Corning area and was wondering the same thing myself. How are your chicks doing, did you get them out there yet? What kind of heater are you using? I like your coop!

Thanks! Yes we moved them out on Sunday after spending all day Saturday giving the coop a good scrub. It was beautiful Sunday so we actually had them in the run for a few hours (didn't get them in there until around 3pm) before having to catch them and put them in the coop.

Their automatic door from the coop opened by itself yesterday even though we put tape over the sensor but they never left the coop. I think they're pretty happy in the coop, which will be closed until our next nice day.

My chicks are only 5 weeks old, so I think yours would be fine. The heater we have is Titan Incubators 12" X 12" Brooder Hen/Electric Mama Hen Low 20w Chick Heat Plate that we got off Amazon. I think it works well, and they haven't slept under it since they've been in the coop (it's been warm though). The last few nights they've just slept in a little pile by the door.