My ikea detolf brooder

[Laughingduck81]

I would say yes, you can move them outside. I did so last year (I had to move them) and it was below freezing. Just have a heating plate for them as well. I placed the plate inside a large cardboard box laying on the side (the opening is on the side, facing forward). the flaps open and the one hanging down. It keeps the heat in there for them yet they can come out if they feel like it. These little guys feathered out faster than any other chicks I had in the coop afterwards.

That is smart, I’m mostly worried about them growing so big that they dont all fit under the heating plate anymore. A box would help keep heat in though, good plan.

 

[Laughingduck81]

Depends on your temperatures and how aggressive you are with getting them off heat and exposed to outside temperatures.

I brood outdoors, the chicks are exposed to day/night temperature cycles right away and naturally wean themselves off heat. I close up the brooder at around 4 weeks.

Other option is to brood using the coop itself if there's no chickens in there already, and if electricity can be run out, but that's not possible in all cases.

In the meantime I'd encourage you to look for a larger brooder, such as large cardboard boxes like an appliance box, as they're really going to outgrow this fast.

I do have them next to a window, so they are getting a bit of the outdoor weather inside. I’m in Ontario, Canada. Days are fairly warm now but nights do get cool still. It should’nt get below freezing at night anymore though, but it gets close. This is the forcast for the next couple weeks (in both c and f) :

 

[Laughingduck81]

There are a few chickens in the coop already. I thought of putting the brooder in there and setting it up so they have protection from the older hens, separating them with chicken wire. My other hens are 4 months old. There is electricity too, as the coop is inside our garage.

 

[abpatchy]

That is smart, I’m mostly worried about them growing so big that they dont all fit under the heating plate anymore. A box would help keep heat in though, good plan.

A friend of mine found this in her faverolle group. This guy uses old water barrels... turns them upside down. hole in the bottom for the chicks.... a hole on top for wires. Then he uses warming lights (not the infrared kind.. these don't give off any light at all... totally colorless, just warmth) that he places inside the barrels. And the chicks got it warm. They can roam or warm up whenever they want to.
I guess it would work also with warming plates if you use something like a storage box.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I do have them next to a window, so they are getting a bit of the outdoor weather inside. I’m in Ontario, Canada. Days are fairly warm now but nights do get cool still. It should’nt get below freezing at night anymore though, but it gets close. This is the forcast for the next couple weeks (in both c and f) :

Your temperatures are quite good the next few weeks, so they can definitely move outside (without additional heat) at around 4-5 weeks old, as long as you acclimate them close to those temperatures before putting them out. The window should help with that.

Or if it's easier you can move the brooder/set up a brooder in the coop with electricity, and then wean them off heat in there.