Moving to the Coop

[smdcleland]

Hello! My chicks will be 6 weeks this weekend. My husband and I read that they can be moved to the coop now. I am nervous about this. We live in NY and Fall is upon us. It's getting colder. We plan to use hay and a coop heater. Do you think the little ones will be okay?

Shannon

 

[Ridgerunner]

I've had chicks 5-1/2 weeks old go through nights in the mid 20's Fahrenheit without problems. As long as the coop heater doesn't burn down the coop they should be fine.

 

[3KillerBs]

How well feathered are they?

If they're fully-feathered, if you've weaned them off heat/acclimated them to the temperatures outside, and if your coop is draft-free they should be fine.

 

[smdcleland]

They are almost fully feathered. Just a little bit of fuzz on their necks. I've been putting them outside in the coop run during the days. They really seem to enjoy outdoors. I just don't want them to get too cold!

Thank you both!

Shannon

 

[aart]

We plan to use hay and a coop heater.

Sounds like a recipe for a fire.
They don't need a heater, they need lots of ventilation.
You may want to have a heated waterer tho.
The first winter is tough, until you realize how tough they are.

Show us your coop, pics inside and out, and we can help you determine what is needed to get thru the winter in safety and comfort.

We live in NY

Here's how to add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

 

[DobieLover]

They are almost fully feathered. Just a little bit of fuzz on their necks. I've been putting them outside in the coop run during the days. They really seem to enjoy outdoors. I just don't want them to get too cold!

Thank you both!

Shannon

If you haven't done so already, remove their heat source immediately. I would not hesitate to move them to the coop permanently as long as it is fully predator proof now.
I'm also in NY and I've never used supplemental heat in the coop. It is designed with lots of ventilation. I've only had minor frostbite rounding of the tips of the roosters comb and that's it. We've gone down as low as -22F. You will want a heated waterer for the winter so you don't have to haul water out all day long. The waterer should not be kept inside the coop. You don't want to add moisture to the coop during winter as that promotes frostbite.
I agree, please post pictures of your coop, inside and outside, that show the layout and ventilation and post pictures of their run.

 

[NatJ]

They are almost fully feathered. Just a little bit of fuzz on their necks. I've been putting them outside in the coop run during the days. They really seem to enjoy outdoors. I just don't want them to get too cold!

If they are fine all day long, with no added heat, then they should be fine during the night as well. At night they huddle together so they stay a little warmer, which is perfect because nights tend to be chillier than days.

As the weather gets colder, they will still be fine, because they will continue to get bigger and grow more feathers. By the time you reach the really cold part of the winter, they will be almost adults and should also be fine.

 

[Mrs. K]

Do not worry about them being warm, worry about them being DRY. When you think warm, you think shut this up tight to trap the warmth in, and what you actually do is trap moisture from their poop and breath. In small coops, this moisture and accumulate quickly, think of being in the car without heat on a cold dark night.

Damp chickens are cold chickens. What you want is dry chickens out of the wind. So you need a lot of ventilation above their heads. You need roosts so that the tops of their heads is 15 inches + below the roof. This allows the moisture to escape, with the warm air rising and that keeps the birds dry and warm.

So counter intuitive, since we have been told since childhood, "shut the door, are you trying to heat the outside?" Again, if you keep them DRY they will be warm.

 

[smdcleland]

Thank you. This is the coop we have. We are going to build an addition because even though it says 6 chickens, it looks too small to me.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...t3aqlgx0opgcFnlkQbMeNnUEJ0HbwZjIaApP_EALw_wcB

 

[Ridgerunner]

Unfortunately you are correct. The majority of prefab coops sold greatly overestimate how many chickens they can handle. Even if they use commercial standards they would be squeezed and we don't raise them to commercial standards. They often are not that well designed for chickens. That one has three nests which is enough for 12 chickens, so wasted space. That roost is at least higher than the nests, many of them aren't, but it would be inadequate for 6 hens.

You are in New York and have winter to look forward to. To get through your winters chickens need to be dry (which means ventilation) and they need decent breeze protection. I don't see any ventilation in that closed in section. I'm not sure how I'd modify that to make it more suitable. Build a larger run and maybe close that section in with paneling and rip out at least the interior wall of that enclosed section, but you need access. That could be challenging. Good luck!