My chicks are four weeks, are they ready?

[Peppercorngal]

I plan to put them out in the coop, but currently they still have baby feathers on their stomach, butt area and head, do you think theyre able to go outside? I live in a warm enviroment, so theres no way except at night they could be cold

I have my 3 week old chicks in an outdoor brooder with a heat lamp. I turn the lamp off during the day and on at night. It's about 35 degrees at night here and 52 to 65 during the day. I have raised the lamp as well since this photo was taken. They have been in this outdoor brooder since I got them at 2 weeks old. As long as they have a warm place, good food, water (and I like to give them treats of greens and mealworms) they should be fine.

 

[Houdini56]

I have my 3 week old chicks in an outdoor brooder with a heat lamp. I turn the lamp off during the day and on at night. It's about 35 degrees at night here and 52 to 65 during the day.

We also moved our 3-week old chicks into their outdoor brooder/coop...with their heater plate on all the time. I could likely turn it off during the day but it eats very little electricity and no safety concerns so might as well give them the option for a while longer. After the first 24 hours we opened the pop door, and they have been happily spending most of the daytime hours outside (in a secure run) chasing bugs and scratching around. They figured out the ramp pretty quickly, though still prefer flying part of the way, silly birds.

The nights have been in the 40s and most days in the 60s. Yesterday afternoon it clouded up, the temp dropped, and they all headed inside their house though I didn't see any of them under the heater plate, just out of the breeze. I'm still keeping a frequent eye on them, and they are shut in at night, but they seem very contented and are obviously loving their run time, so I'm confident this was the right move.

 

[feathermaid]

I agree that chicks are not as fragile as we seem to think they are. I think keeping them inside for too long or providing them too much heat actually handicaps them to a degree... by not letting them grow their feathers sooner or start building immunities to the outdoors. A broody hen starts them outside from day one.

I also think a heat lamp tends to complicate things (too much/too little heat, fire risk, light on at night when it should be dark). I love a heating plate or MHP... it's so much more natural. Ambient heat from a light is very different from directly touching a warm heat source. Chicks choose when and how much heat they need and then decide on their own when they no longer need it at all. I raised my chicks last year in the coop starting at 2 weeks old (only because it took that long to finish building my new coop and brooder setup). Nights were 40s and days close to 60s and they always had access to a Mama Heating Pad, though they rarely used it.

I started early integration at 3-4 weeks by switching to a new divider that the babies could fit through but my older birds couldn't. When my chicks were 4-5 weeks old they made their own choice to join the big girls on the roost at night and abandon the heat source all together.

This just proves to me that when left to their own devices, those little chicks can do pretty well and acclimate very quickly. Many other folks brood this way as well. But if you're using a heat lamp inside, it always seems to take longer for them to grow in all their feathers and get used to being a real outdoor chicken.

 

[HAPPYCHICKENLADY17]

I plan to put them out in the coop, but currently they still have baby feathers on their stomach, butt area and head, do you think theyre able to go outside? I live in a warm enviroment, so theres no way except at night they could be cold

i also kept my babies inside until they were 6 weeks old, and i live in florida...but the nights can still be cool.....

 

[HAPPYCHICKENLADY17]

I agree that chicks are not as fragile as we seem to think they are. I think keeping them inside for too long or providing them too much heat actually handicaps them to a degree... by not letting them grow their feathers sooner or start building immunities to the outdoors. A broody hen starts them outside from day one.

I also think a heat lamp tends to complicate things (too much/too little heat, fire risk, light on at night when it should be dark). I love a heating plate or MHP... it's so much more natural. Ambient heat from a light is very different from directly touching a warm heat source. Chicks choose when and how much heat they need and then decide on their own when they no longer need it at all. I raised my chicks last year in the coop starting at 2 weeks old (only because it took that long to finish building my new coop and brooder setup). Nights were 40s and days close to 60s and they always had access to a Mama Heating Pad, though they rarely used it.

I started early integration at 3-4 weeks by switching to a new divider that the babies could fit through but my older birds couldn't. When my chicks were 4-5 weeks old they made their own choice to join the big girls on the roost at night and abandon the heat source all together.
View attachment 1712428
This just proves to me that when left to their own devices, those little chicks can do pretty well and acclimate very quickly. Many other folks brood this way as well. But if you're using a heat lamp inside, it always seems to take longer for them to grow in all their feathers and get used to being a real outdoor chicken.

and how do you keep the feed separate..the older ones on layer feed, but the young ones are still on starter grower feed

 

[HAPPYCHICKENLADY17]

I Have 16 week old silver laced wyandottes can they sleep in the big roost coop with my adult ladies....please help

 

[Henrik Petersson]

I Have 16 week old silver laced wyandottes can they sleep in the big roost coop with my adult ladies....please help

16-week old or 16 week-old? This is why grammar matters.

 

[HAPPYCHICKENLADY17]

16-week old or 16 week-old? This is why grammar matters.

sorry, i have 2 16 week old silver laced wyandottes

 

[Henrik Petersson]

sorry, i have 2 16 week old silver laced wyandottes

By 16 weeks of age, you can probably treat them as adults for all intents and purposes.

You can certainly feed them adult feed, and you can put them in with the older ladies, but of course with the usual precautions needed for introduction of new flock members.

 

[HAPPYCHICKENLADY17]

By 16 weeks of age, you can probably treat them as adults for all intents and purposes.

You can certainly feed them adult feed, and you can put them in with the older ladies, but of course with the usual precautions needed for introduction of new flock members.

They have been in a separate but adjoining pen since they were 6 wks old..past few weeks i let them spend hours mingling with the adults,but put them back in their own coop at nite.....