My Chicks are six weeks old, When can they go outside?

[katness]

I have one rooster who is fully feathered and one silkie who just is getting all her feathers. When should they go outside?

 

[morelcabin]

Outside as in to a coop, or outside as in freerange?
If they are in the house and you are looking to relocate them to an outdoor coop/shed, you can do it now for sure. I have 4 day old silkies that have been in my shed for three days now

 

[katness]

outside in a large cage, would that be ok , how much heat do they need at this stage?

 

[morelcabin]

Now that i am not sure, I don't know what kind of weather you guys get. I usually keep mine draft free until about 8 weeks anyway, but that's in Canada

 

[NotTheMomma]

My 4 week olds are outside in a dog lot today. They have two dog houses filled with hay to get in. and no light on them. Sun is dhinning and its beautiful today. A bit windy,but the chicks dont seem to mind.

 

[katness]

the cage is covered and it gets about 45 at night. There are three together.

 

[foweler]

Mine are 8 weeks and 6 weeks. They have been in the coop with a 250W red heat lamp since I got the 4 weeks ago.
My coop is pretty well sealed but I was still worried when it was getting in the low 30's a few weeks ago but it was no problem.

I finished my run 2 weeks ago and have been letting them out around 6:30am. They are standing at the door waiting to come out these days. They go in and out freely until I close them in around 9pm ish.

My heatlamp came unscrewed 2 nights ago and they survived without it. In fact they've slept on the roosts instead of the floor the last 2 nights. I did raise the lamp and turn it back on last night cause I'm a chump.

Today they seem to be inside more than out with the wind and all.

I'd say if you can keep them out of the wind and have a heat lamp (if it gets cold) they should be OK.

 

[cgmccary]

It was 65 F this afternoon here in alabama & sunny so I let my 4 week olds out for the afternoon--in an outdoor pen, new grass, their food & water-- brought them in before it got dark.

I try and get them used to the outdoors as early as possible. The fresh air & sunshine, IMHO, are good for them.

 

[JennsPeeps]

They'll be fine as long as they're fully feathered.

It's supposed to be ~58 this weekend in WA. I'm dying to do yard work, and fully plan to take my 2 chicks outside (caged) to start introducing them to the 2 standards & 1 banty who await them.

 

[jonesgirl]

I have been putting mine outside too... and they don't seem to mind it when it gets a little chilly, they have thier own little house to go into with shavings etc... I bring them in at night though, but they are getting big and stinky, lol///

What if their heads are still a little poofy? but the rest of their bodies are fully feathered? I am a chump too, I start to over worry I think